


Something Worth Protecting

by CrummyConjuncture



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Backstory, Baked Goods, Bullying, Consent, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Issues, Fights, First Dates, Fist Fights, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Sex, Jealous Papyrus (Undertale), Jealous Sans (Undertale), Jealousy, Music, No Smut, Other, Phobias, Physical Abuse, Play Fighting, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Racism, Reader-Insert, Reverse Harem, Suggestive Themes, Trust Issues, a bit slow in the beginning as I set up the universe and lore, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28215165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrummyConjuncture/pseuds/CrummyConjuncture
Summary: Y/n is running from her dark past when the unthinkable happens.She starts falling for a group of skeletons.While the world around her starts to take a turn for the better,Years of trauma can't be solved with a simple hair flip and a skeleton crush...When she finds love and friendship for the first time in her life, will Y/n fight to keep it?Or will she keep them at arms length, and protect them by leaving.....
Relationships: Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Blackberry (Swapfell)/Reader, Blueberry (Underswap)/Reader, Edge (Underfell)/Reader, Mutt (Swapfell)/Reader, Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Red (Underfell)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Stretch (Underswap)/Reader
Comments: 45
Kudos: 94





	1. The Mission

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!  
> This is my very first Archive of Our Own story, so please leave me feedback!  
> Please take this seriously but also don’t!  
> I hope you have as much fun reading as I had fun writing this hogwash!

Friday Evening, 5:00 p.m.

_Crap, I’m gonna be late!_ Y/n thought as she quickly stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in her fluffy microfiber towel.

Grabbing a bobby pin from the counter, she placed it between her teeth and began to pull her curly hair into a ponytail. 

_Man, I can’t believe I’ve been summoned by the queen of monsters!_

_I understand that they needed an extra bodyguard, considering that there are plenty of anti-monster protestors in this town, but I don’t understand why they’d ask me of all people._

_I’m nothing special, I just so happened to win against…her…_

_Anyways, I should probably feel honored, but I’m more terrified of screwing up than anything._

Stumbling over her clothes on the floor, she removed the bobby pin from between her teeth and pinned back her flyways. 

She picked up the black jumpsuit from the cold bathroom floor and examined it. Her (e/c) eyes trailed over the professional stitching as she slipped into the soft fabric.

She admired the simplistic, but professional look of the jumpsuit she had picked out. It had semi thick spaghetti straps and a small v- neck that brought attention to her collarbone, along with a zipper that ran along her back. It was also long enough that it stopped just above her ankles. While she loved the jumpsuit, it had a few details on it that she wasn’t completely comfortable with. It slightly hugged her stomach, bringing some unwanted attention to her hips.

After applying some mascara and a touch of highlight, she quickly ran out of the bathroom, slipped on her strappy black flats, and headed out the door.

She then quickly started the car and swerved out of the driveway like a maniac, hitting the mailbox for the third time today. 

_Today has been WAY to crazy for me. First, Jenny got a flat tire and I had to give her and her dog Sprinkles a ride to the vet, then Chester texted me saying he has feelings for me, AND my finals are in two days?!?! Like, since when did he start liking me with his ugly ass?!? I thought he was into his sister…?_ She thinks to herself as she switches on her right turn signal.

 _And now I’m invited to some fancy hotel to be a bodyguard for the queen?!? I’ve only been training at the academy for a few months! Sure, I beat the headmaster in a match a month ago, but that was at CHESS! I’m really, REALLY, not cut out for this!_ Y/n thought as she pulled up to the stop light and banged her head on the steering wheel.

Y/n didn’t have much time for herself. Between keeping her grades up in school, solving her friend’s problems, working her part time job, and making sure her past didn’t interfere with her new life, things have been busier than she’d like them to be. 

Y/n is a student at the Pentyl Academy for Future Fighters, or PAFF. The academy is more like a glorified dojo that trains students in the ways of martial arts and self-defense. This academy isn’t really a dojo, since it offers lessons in multiple categories, such as spear throwing, archery, horseback riding, etc.

After moving from the city to a small town on Mt. Ebott last year in the dead of winter, Y/n didn’t have a place to stay, so she lived in her car for a few weeks. One day, a girl named Jenny, who is now her best friend, found Y/n huddled in her car almost frozen to death. She brought her to her home, warmed her up with coco and jokes, and they’ve been two peas in a pod ever since. She helped Y/n get her own place, and even helped her apply for a part time job at a café when the summer rolled around.

It was there that she met her energetic coworker named Undyne, a fish monster who was very passionate about…literally everything.

It just so happened that Undyne was also the headmaster of PAFF Academy,

so, I guess you could say,

their PAFFS crossed! =D ( I’m sorry )

In the short time that they knew each other, they became instant friends, and Y/n envied her mental and physical strength. She told Undyne that she wished she could be strong like her, and Undyne offered to train her. She said that if Y/n worked hard enough, she could probably pass the entrance exam in the fall. 

Y/n accepted, and Undyne put her through brutal combat and…cooking training. She never really understood the reason for the cooking lessons, but had fun nonetheless, as they got to demolish the kitchen and set Undyne’s house on fire almost every weekend. It was a great stress reliever.

Due to certain events in her past, she was unable to finish high school, but was given a second chance here at PAFF. She’s been attending for six months now and has worked her butt off to prove herself worthy of her spot at the academy.

Undyne, of course, pretended not to know Y/n while she held the title of headmaster on campus, as to avoid favoritism and unnecessary drama. 

But one day, Y/n had gotten top marks on a difficult exam, and Undyne decided to “introduce herself,” as she had “taken a liking to her fighting spirit and wanted to congratulate her.” To celebrate her achievement, Undyne invited her to play a friendly game of chess to test out Y/n’s strategic skills. Undyne ended up flipping the board every time something didn’t go her way. It took some convincing on her part, but Y/n was finally able to convince her to settle down and play more calmly.

Y/n was a complete novice at chess and ended up winning by accident.

Undyne was angry but gracious about it, as it was a fair game, and she wasn’t a sore loser.

But the whole school went crazy. 

Some said that Y/n had taken Undyne down in a fist fight, while others speculated that she played dirty in a jousting match. The rumors spread and, eventually, news reached monsters that the former Captain of the Royal Guard had been taken down by some human girl in an epic fight. 

It was also around this time that the queen requested that Y/n come to work for her as a temporary guard. She didn’t give a lot of details, but she said that she was attending a party at a hotel, and to “dress nice.” She also vaguely described a meeting spot at the foot of Mt. Ebott, saying that Y/n would meet some guards there, and that they would escort her to the queen directly for further instructions. The queen also instructed her to not tell anyone of her whereabouts, and to come alone, unarmed.

This brings us back to current events.

Something about the invitation felt…. unsettling….to say the least. Y/n was worried that the monsters wanted revenge on her for “taking down their former Captain,” and felt uneasy about the whole ordeal.

_Hopefully, I can clear up this whole misunderstanding. Running away isn’t exactly an option, since I have no money to do so, and I’m pretty sure the royal guard would find me no matter where I go. Besides, I don’t want to run from my problems anymore._

_Or this is some sick prank, and I’m about to be kidnapped. Oh well, it’s not like I’m doing anything interesting this weekend, and it would at least give me an excuse to not go to school on Monday._ She thought as she turned up the music in her car.

 _All I can do now is trust my instincts and this can of bear mace._ _She did say to come unarmed, and technically, this isn’t up my sleeve._ Y/n chuckled to herself as she turned down an empty street, nearing the mountain. 

Parking along the dirt road close to the trees, she double checked the location, and stepped out of the car. With her bear mace stashed in a secret leg holster and invitation in hand, she walked down the road until she spotted a narrow dirt path, leading further into the woods. 

She looked back towards her car, having second thoughts,

_Well, this isn’t creepy at all…_

Y/n proceeded to walk down the path anyway.

She finally reached a clearing as she moved an overgrown branch out of the way and inspected the makeshift campsite before her.

It was full of tents, weapons, and all kinds of monsters, like…...dogs…? And skeletons? 

Y/n observed one dog monster sharpening a long spear, while another dog attempted to pet himself. 

_Huh, you don’t see that every day,_ Y/n thought as she slowly stepped into the clearing and approached a tent to her right. 

Most of them wore silver armor and helmets, while others only had chest plates and… scarves? It probably symbolized their ranking or something. 

“WHO LET THIS PEST SNEAK INTO OUR CAMP?!?!” Screeched a tall looking skeleton as his angry crimson eyes bore into her. He was definitely a sight to behold. He wore long red boots, a red studded belt, black ripped pants, and a black chest plate with pointy shoulder pads. He had a red scarf wrapped around his neck that matched his blood red gloves. The skeleton was really, REALLY tall, and his pointy teeth and scar over his left eye socket didn’t help Y/n’s already growing nerves.

“U-um, actually I’ve been summoned h-here…” She was cut off as someone behind her suddenly grabbed her wrist harshly and snatched the invitation from her. 

Y/n began to panic as their grip tightened on her wrist. As she turned around to confront the person that grabbed her, an unknown force made her body go stiff and she was slammed face first into the ground. 

_THUNK_

The air was suddenly knocked out of her and her scream dissipated with the lack of oxygen. The heavy pressure on her chest held her there as her muscles screamed from the sudden impact.

Y/n internally screamed at her body to move, do literally anything to retaliate, but it wouldn’t listen to her.

_This is it…I’m gonna die here, and nobody’s gonna miss me!_

She heard her mysterious oppressor hum in thought, before he spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.

“And humans say that the shovel is a _groundbreaking_ invention. Nice of you to _drop_ in, sweet cheeks.” He said with a laid-back tone.

“RED, I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR HORRIBLE JOKES, ESPECIALLY ON A DAY LIKE TODAY!”

“Aw come on boss, you could even say…”

“DON’T. FINISH. THAT. THOUGHT.” The taller skeleton said warningly.

“…She fell faster than the speed of _ground_!” Her oppressor supposedly named Red let out a low, rumbling chuckle, before he burst out laughing as the tall skeleton practically screeched at him.

Gathering all of the strength she could muster; she was able to force her face out of the dirt.

“But in all seriousness, who are you…?” The deep voice suddenly commanded, quickly losing their joking tone.

Y/n managed to slowly turn her head to see who was holding her down, and to be honest, she almost sharted herself when she saw him.

The monster reading the paper was a shorter skeleton. He wore red sneakers that were untied, basketball shorts, and a black hoodie with a red turtleneck underneath. Y/n probably would have found amusement in his fashion choice if it weren’t for the fact that he had the scariest smile she’d ever seen. His pointy teeth and big golden tooth sent her on edge, making her panic even more.

She tried to answer him, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.

He suddenly chuckled as he took one last glance over the invitation in his hand.

“S-kay boss, she’s the extra help th’ queen requested.” The short skeleton said lazily as he pointed one finger at her.

She started to float and was set back on her feet. 

“THERE MUST BE A MISTAKE, BECAUSE THERE’S NO WAY THE QUEEN WOULD EVER ASK FOR A HUMAN’S HELP.” The taller skeleton loudly proclaimed.

 _Did this guy just use the freaking force on me?!?!_ Y/n internally panicked as the mysterious pressure on her chest suddenly melted away.

_I mean, I know that monsters can use magic cause they’re made of it and all, but I didn’t think it would be magic like THIS! That was literally SO terrifying!_

“Uh y-yeah I came at the queen’s request. The invitation was kind of vague though, so I’m not really sure what I’m doing exactly…” She says awkwardly as she slowly begins to back away from the shorter skeleton.

_These guys are definitely dangerous. The best thing to do right now is to stay calm and tread lightly. If all of these guards can use magic like that, I need to show them that I’m not a threat. Or should I show them that I am? If they think I’m too weak they might just kill me now or something…UGH! What am I supposed to do?!?!_

“WE DON’T NEED ASSISTANCE FROM SOME PATHETIC HUMAN! I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE, AM MORE THAN CAPABLE OF HANDLING ANY DANGER!”

“S-true. Boss IS the Captain of the Royal Guard for a reason.” The shorter skeleton said while picking at his golden tooth. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he examined Y/n.

“THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I’LL EVER AGREE WITH MY SORRY EXCUSE OF A BROTHER. NOW GET LOST. THIS IS NO PLACE FOR AN INSIGNIFICANT BUG LIKE YOU.” He demanded as he stared her down menacingly.

“Well, if the queen requested some “insignificant bug” like me, then maybe you’re not doing your jobs very well.” She said coldly as she crossed her arms. 

It was one thing to be intimidated by someone but being straight up disrespected was another.

“YOU INSOLENT HUMAN! THAT’S NO WAY TO SPEAK TO A SUPERIOR! DIDN’T THEY TEACH YOU THESE THINGS IN HUMAN SCHOOL?!? He angrily yells with his hands on his hips.

“Maybe YOU should treat others the way you want to be treated. Didn’t they teach you that in monster school?” She said that last part mockingly, mirroring his hand-to-hip action as Red tries not to laugh from behind her.

“HUMAN, I SUGGEST YOU PREPARE TO DIE!”

“Edge, was it? You really don’t have to be so hostile. I can understand if you’re afraid of me, sometimes I come across as intimidating when I don’t mean to.” You say with a subtle smirk. At this, Red keels over in laughter.

“I like ‘er boss. She’s a f*cking riot!” He says between gasps for air in his fit of laughter.

“LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE-” He says furiously as he picks her up over his head to yeet her out of the forest.

“Put me down!” She screams as she flails her legs and punches at his chest. It didn’t have any effect on him.

“I THINK THAT’S QUITE ENOUGH, EDGE.”

They both stop struggling to stare at the new commanding presence in the room. Another skeleton, who looked almost exactly like Red, stood a few feet away with his hands on his hips, almost exactly imitating Edge’s actions earlier. He was fairly short, wearing a set of armor similar to Edge’s, and had a purple scarf wrapped around his neck to complete the look. He also wore purple gloves and had a crack in his skull that ran over his left eye socket, giving him a “tough guy” look. 

His purple eye lights studied them for a moment, before sighing and continuing.

“PUT THE PET DOWN, EDGE. I’VE BEEN ORDERED TO ESCORT THEM TO THE MAIN CAMP.” He said as he stood at attention, with his hands behind his back.

Edge stares and growls at Y/n for a moment.

“FINE! BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE QUEEN’S ORDERS!” He grumbled sharply as he dropped her at his feet.

“Ow, Seriously?!” She hissed as she landed on her butt painfully.

“COME HUMAN, THE QUEEN INSISTS ON MEETING WITH YOU.” He says as he turns and begins to walk away.

As she stood up and began to follow him, Edge stretched out his foot, causing her to trip and fall on her hands and knees.

“IF SHE CAN’T EVEN WALK PROPERLY, SHE DOESN’T DESERVE TO MEET THE QUEEN.” He said with his arms crossed, clearly amused at her frustration. Red chuckled as he watched her curiously.

Shaking slightly as she balled her hands into fists, she began to stand once more.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his boot rapidly approaching her back, about to kick her down. She reacted quickly by rolling sideways out of the way. Y/n landed in a crouching position a few feet away from him.

“EDGE, THAT’S ENOUGH!” The purple scarved skeleton growled as he stormed over and grabbed his red scarf, pulling him down to his eye level.

“I SHOULD REPORT YOU FOR YOUR CONSTANT MISCONDUCT. STOP ACTING LIKE YOUR SO HIGH AND MIGHTY. AFTER ALL, WE BOTH KNOW THE QUEEN CAN EASILY REPLACE YOU WITH ANY OF US.” He said with a slight smirk as Edge’s eyes widened. The flash of shock was quickly replaced by a scowl as he shoved him away.

“WHATEVER, JUST GET IT OUT OF MY SIGHT!” He said as he stormed away into a tent nearby.

Standing up and dusting herself off, she noticed how dirty her jumpsuit had gotten. She also felt a small tear forming near the zipper on her back.

“COME PET, I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY.” The purple themed skeleton reprimanded as he walked away proudly.

 _Wow…look at the confidence on this guy,_ Y/n thought to herself sarcastically as she angrily followed him. Stealing one last glance at the camp, she noticed that Red was no longer there, and that most of the guards seemed to be dispersing in random directions into the forest.

He turned down a heavily wooded path with rocks and roots sticking out of the ground. The overgrowth made it difficult for Y/n to keep up with his fast strides.

_Maybe I misheard him, but I’m pretty sure this guy just called me a pet…geez, does everyone in the guard not respect humans? Ok, but this guy kinda did stand up for me…in his own pompous way. If I play nice, maybe I can finally figure out what’s going on. None of them seem to know who I am at least…they probably would’ve killed me by now if they knew I was the one who allegedly “beat Undyne…”._

“Um, thanks for standing up for me… sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” She said politely as she struggled to keep up with him.

“I WASN’T DOING ANY FAVORS FOR YOU HUMAN, I HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO TODAY. EDGE WAS SIMPLY WASTING MY PRECIOUS TIME.” He said while breaking an enormous branch and stepping over it like it was nothing. “YOU MAY CALL ME MILORD. YOU SHOULD FEEL HONORED TO BE ESCORTED BY SOMEONE AS ESTEEMED AS ME, PET.”

Y/n balled her fists and ground her teeth together as she took a deep breath. _Ok, just KEEP YOUR COOL DON’T BLOW UP IN HIS FACE DON’T DO IT CHIEF JUST BEEEEEE COOOOL._ She thought to herself as she held back a sigh of frustration.

“Well ACTUALLY, my name is Y/n. And where are we going exactly?” She says as calmly as possible.

“IT’S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU _ARE_ A PET. AND I’VE BEEN ORDERED TO BRING YOU TO THE MAIN CAMP. NOW STOP ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS AND KEEP UP WITH ME, PET. YOU’RE SLOWER THAN I ANTICIPATED.”

Her blood was starting to boil. _This guy is unreal!_

“Well maybe if you just slowed down and explained what I’m here for, I’d stop asking so many questions!” She quickened her pace, carefully stepping over rocks and roots.

He didn’t answer as he stopped to wait for her, crossing his arms and impatiently tapping his foot. She finally jogged up next to him, breathing heavily as she turned to confront him.

 _He looks like that rabbit from Alice and Wonderland_ , Y/n thought to herself as she tried not to laugh.

“WHAT’S SO FUNNY, PET?” He questioned angrily with his hands on his hips. 

“Oh…it’s nothing,” she covered her mouth as she tried to mask her giggles with a coughing fit. “So, the invitation mentioned something about a party the queen would be attending. What kind of party is it?”

“IT ISN’T A PARTY. IT’S STRICTLY POLITICAL AFFAIRS.”

He said quickly, peering up at the setting sun as if he was checking the time.

“WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING. IT’S APPROXIMATELY…NO, IT IS NOW 17:53, OR 5:53 p.m., FOR A SIMPLE-MINDED HUMAN LIKE YOU. THE QUEEN EXPECTS US TO ARRIVE AT 6, AND I WILL NOT BE LATE BECAUSE YOU CAN’T KEEP UP,” he says rubbing at his temples, as if Y/n were the biggest pain in the world. “TAKE MY HAND, PET.”

“W-wait, what?” Puzzled by his sudden statement, she looked at him suspiciously. Milord simply rolled his eye lights.

“I HAVE MAGIC THAT CAN GET US THERE FASTER. I DON’T LIKE USING IT, AS IT IS A LAZY WAY OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT CERTAIN TIMES CALL FOR CERTAIN MEASURES. NOW STOP WASTING TIME AND TAKE MY HAND PET.”

“…What’s my name, Milord?” He seemed taken aback by the question and quirked a brow bone at her.

“PET, OBVIOUSLY. STOP WASTING MY TIME FURTHER AND TAKE MY HAND, OR I’LL TAKE IT BY FORCE. HONESTLY, I’VE BEEN NOTHING BUT HOSPITABLE TOWARDS YOU SO FAR-”

“Now you listen to me, you purple oopma loompa hoopla lookin ass b*tch,” she proclaimed furiously as she jammed a finger into his chest menacingly, “maybe you haven’t noticed, but I have a name. I’m not some mindless mutt that needs to be ordered around!”

While Y/n was busy concocting the next insult to throw at him, she felt a tingly sensation flow through her body. She paid no attention to it, as she was blinded by her rage.

“I’M SWEATY, BEATEN, AND MENTALLY EXHAUSTED FROM EVERYONE’S UNNECESSARY ATTITUDE TOWARDS ME! AND IF YOU CALL ME PET ONE MORE TIME-”

“YOUR MAJESTY.” Milord exclaimed suddenly in a forced, welcoming tone as he bows his head away from Y/n.

Confused, Y/n turns to see who he was talking to, only to notice that they were no longer in the forest, but in a massive tent. It contained fine purple tapestries. There was a big rug covering the grass beneath them, and the tent walls were decorated with a family crest, one she recognized immediately. She followed Milord’s eyes to see the Queen of Monsters, sitting on a throne a few feet away.

“Y-your majesty! Please forgive our rudeness, we did not mean to intrude.” Taking one knee and bowing deeply. 

_How the heck did we get here?!? Earlier when I felt that tingling sensation… is THIS the magic he was talking about?!? They can teleport too?!?!_

The queen chuckled daintily as she stood up and brushed out the skirt of her dress. “On time as always, Black. And no, my child, you aren’t interrupting anything. And please, call me Toriel. Any friend of Undyne’s is a friend of mine!” She smiles pleasantly and waves off the dog guards that were standing on either side of her as she begins to approach Y/n.

She was tall, covered in white fur with goat-like horns on either side of her head. She wore a purple dress and had no shoes on her giant feet. While Toriel’s presence radiated an unquestionably regal aura, her face was decorated with soft features that made Y/n feel at ease. Her demeanor was like that of a mother, welcoming her child home from a long journey.

“I hope the guards have treated you well-” she stopped as she got a better look at her. “…Black,” She suddenly said coldly and turned to the short skeleton, who was now… sweating? “Why does my guest look so rough? Don’t tell me it’s because of you… or Mutt…or Edge…?”

He suddenly dropped to one knee, hitting his chest with his clenched fist. “N-no, your majesty, it wasn’t I or Mutt who caused this. Edge was toying with Pe- um, Y/n, and deliberately disobeyed orders when I explained to him that she was an honored guest.”

The queen turned to her. “Y/n, is this true?” She asked softly as she offered her a handkerchief for the dirt on her face.

Thank you, your majesty- I mean, Toriel.” She says, taking the handkerchief and directing a small glare in Milord’s direction.

“I don’t know much about monster customs, but I guess the welcoming committee could have been more…welcoming. It is as Milord says, Edge tried to fight me immediately, and Red slammed me to the ground. While Milord could have been…kinder…he did follow orders.”

“I see…” she says while rubbing her chin. She turned back to him, placing her hands together. “Black. Please see to it that Edge and Red hold court with me tomorrow, where they will be punished accordingly. I would do it now, but this “party” is too important to delay.” He bowed his head once more and stood to his feet, turning to leave. “But as for you,” she said coldly, making him freeze in his spot, “You will see to it that you properly apologize to Y/n, for she is an honored guest. Don’t think I am so blind as to how you treat the others, Black. Your therapist tells me of your improvement, but you still have a long way to go.” 

“B-BUT… YOURE MAJESTY-”

“NO BUTS! THOSE ARE FOR SITTING.” She says sternly as she places one hand on Y/n’s shoulder. “I want you to think about your actions today, young man. How do you expect monsters and humans alike, to respect you when you cannot treat them well?”

“It’s like I told Edge, you have to treat others the way you want to be treated.” Y/n says cheekily as Milord glares at her.

“My, that’s a very good saying, Y/n! I believe I’ll use that from now on,” the queen smiles at her and claps her hands together. “Oh! You will also be escorting Y/n to the party, and I expect for you to be on your best behavior, understood?”

“…yes, your majesty.” He mutters and bows his head once more. Completely flustered, he spins on his heel and exits the tent.

 _Omg, she’s literally acting like his mom!_ Y/n thinks to herself as she smirks at Milord’s flustered form, scrambling to leave.

The Queen watches him leave as well, then turns to Y/n with a sympathetic grin.

“I am truly sorry that happened to you…Edge, Red, and Black can be…quite eccentric.” She says as she gestures for Y/n to follow her.

“That’s one way to put it…” she mutters under her breath, but the queen hears and heartily laughs at her statement. “Oh, I’m sorry your majesty, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, no. It’s quite alright my child. You have every right to be angry,” she chuckles and pats her back, “but I’m sure it’s nothing you couldn’t handle, right? And as I said earlier, you may call me Toriel. Which brings us back to the actual issue at hand, as I’ve been anticipating your arrival all day. Tell me, how is Undyne?”

“She is well, and sends her regards,” Y/n replied as she followed her to a curtain behind the throne, “she misses the action, of course, but has continually expressed how much she loves her new jobs!”

“I’m glad to hear that all is well with her.” The queen says cheerfully as a bunny monster steps out from behind the heavy curtain and draws it back for them. Y/n guessed that this monster was a servant of some kind.

As she entered behind the queen, she couldn’t help but stare in awe at the space. It was smaller than the room they were just in, but it had a cozy, cramped feel to it. There was a vanity in one corner, a big reclining chair in the other, and a large bookshelf between them. 

“Please step over here, miss. You may change behind the curtain over there, as there is a robe waiting for you. I will wash and fix up your suit.” The supposed servant said as she pointed towards a changing curtain near the vanity.

“Oh, this is too much! I really appreciate it, but I can’t let you do that for me-” She was cut off as the bunny began to push her towards the curtain.

“Miss, we insist, and it’s no trouble at all. Besides, we must make a good impression. We can’t have you looking…like this…at the party… no offense.”

“None taken.” Y/n says as she catches a glimpse of her current state in the vanity mirror. Her ponytail had begun to come out in an unflattering way, and she was covered head to toe in dirt.

-

Y/n almost cried from pure joy, as she had never been so comfortable. She was stationed in front of the vanity, loving the comfy chair beneath her, along with the plush fabric of the white robe.

_Sure beats that old rickety stool in the attic…_

“I am terribly sorry Y/n, but we’ll have to cut the pleasantries short. You see, the reason I asked you here,” she spoke as she paced the room, trying to find the words, “was not only to guard me for the evening at this “party,” but to act as my niece.”

_Wait…what?_

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure if I quite understand…” she says anxiously as she watches the queen’s reflection pace in the mirror. The bunny monster comes back into the room with Y/n’s jumpsuit, which was now clean and patched up. After laying it out on the recliner, she strides over and takes Y/n’s hair out of the ponytail. She massages her scalp while being careful not to disturb her curls. The motion helps her relax somewhat.

“Well, you see… the “party” that I am to attend isn’t actually a party. On the contrary, it is a political affair. I’ll be meeting with some important leaders of this community, and it is imperative that we make a good impression. For you see, this meeting could determine if we are able to merge our lands.”

The bunny began to finish fixing her hair, redoing the ponytail so that it looked even better than when she did it at home.

“Currently, monsters can travel and live anywhere they want to in this country, except for this town.” she pulls out a book from the shelf, flipping through until she finds the page with a map in it, and hands it to Y/n. She looked at the map, examining the neighboring town to her own. 

"Originally, this wasn’t an issue. None of us wished to live here, especially with the residence being completely anti-monster. But last week, we discovered that there were multiple monsters that had been caved in underground. Digging up the spot of land under the library of that town was the only way to get them out. Originally, we thought this would be a rescue mission, but it’s quickly turned into a hostage situation. When I contacted their mayor and pleaded with him to free those monsters, he agreed. However, he has kept them in a holding cell for trespassing since monsters aren’t legally allowed into that town.”

“We’ve sent out a few spies to scout out the area and see if it would be possible to discreetly evacuate them one at a time but,” she sighs, “it can’t be done. Time is of the essence, as some were injured when they were caved in, and they aren’t being offered food or water. Merging our lands is the only solution to get them out. Fortunately, I was able to reach out to the mayor again and convinced him to meet with me to negotiate. If all goes well, we may get them out by tonight without a hitch.” She puts her hands together and walks over to Y/n, looking at her with a worried expression.

“Which is where you’ll come in...” she says as she kneels next to her chair and explains, “we know that they are more…comfortable…around humans, which is why I asked for you to accompany me as my “niece” in this endeavor. You’ve been trained by Undyne of all people, so you must be well equipped for such a mission. So please,” she says almost pleadingly, taking her hand in between her big paws, “I know that I am asking a lot of you, but…can you promise me…that you’ll at least consider it?”

Y/n looks into her eyes, overwhelmed by the disparity in her tone. It was almost as if she could hear every thought running through the queen’s mind: Hope for a brighter future for monsters, fear that this could all end in flames….but above it all, Y/n sensed, was a bold, unwavering sense of DETERMINATION that was driving the queen do to whatever it takes to get her people to safety.

She realized just how much was riding on this evening.

“Your majes- Toriel,” she corrected herself, “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to help you and your people.”

“Oh, thank you, Y/n. I am eternally grateful for your assistance. This means more to me than you’ll probably ever know.” She kissed her on both of her cheeks and hurried towards the bookshelf.

The queen proceeded to pull out a blueprint, laying it out on a table in the middle of the room and motioned for Y/n to come over.

“So, this is the hotel, and guards will be stationed here and here…”

-

“So, what’s your name?” Y/n asked the bunny monster guiding her through the sea of tents. The sun had started to disappear behind the mountain when Toriel finally dismissed them so she could finish her preparations for tonight.

“W-who me?”

“Um, yeah, who else?”

“O-oh! I’m Gina! Sorry, guests don’t normally care to ask…”

“Well, they should! They need to know how to properly address and thank the person helping them. You gave me a scalp massage for crying out loud!”

“You are a strange human, Y/n.”

“So I’ve been told,” she chuckles as she follows Gina around a large red tent, “I wanted to thank you for cleaning my outfit, you did a fantastic job! It honestly looks better than when I first bought it.”

“D-don’t mention it…” she flushed shyly at the compliment.

“So, Gina, where are we headed exactly?”

“I am accompanying you to the armory, where you’ll be suited with weapons that are appropriate to your skill set.”

“Aw sweet! I’ve been dying to get my hands on some nun chucks, or maybe throwing stars… Undyne tells me that spears are the coolest, so maybe I’ll get one of those-”

“Sorry miss, but you’ll have to carry something more…inconspicuous, than that. The royal family is not allowed to have weapons on their person during the party. However, you are an undercover family member, so you may have one, but it needs to be small.” She explained as she motioned for Y/n to hurry along.

“And I’m afraid that there’s another catch, miss. Since most of our weapons contain magic, some of the guards may not let you just “simply pick one out.” I’m not sure what they’ll do, but you may have a tough time convincing them to let you have a weapon at all.” Gina explained as she stopped in front of a large purple tent, pulling back the entrance flap for her.

“Oh great,” Y/n mumbled, feeling discouraged as she went into the tent, “And who exactly is gonna dictate what I can and can’t take?

“THAT WOULD BE ME, PEST.” Before her was a grumpy Edge, standing near tables with multiple suitcases containing weapons.

“Faaaaaaaaaantastic.” She said as she facepalmed and rubbed her temple.

“AS CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE EDGE, WILL NOT ALLOW A PEST LIKE YOU TO ROAM FREE WITH SUCH DANGEROUS WEAPONS. HOWEVER, I AM NOT COMPLETELY HEARTLESS, AS I WILL ALLOW YOU TO MAKE A SELECTION FROM THESE.” He gestures to a small table in the corner. Upon further inspection, Y/n realizes that all four of the weapons displayed are wooden models that would normally be given to children in training.

She looks at the “weapons,” and back at Edge,“…You can’t be serious.”

“I NEVER JOKE, PEST. NOW PICK YOUR POISON OR GO WITHOUT.”

“Y’know, I have half a mind to tell the queen-”

“THE QUEEN ISN’T IN CHARGE OF THE GUARD, I AM,” he says with a smug look. “SHE GIVES THE ORDERS, BUT I DECIDE HOW THEIR EXECUTED.”

She looked around longingly at the swords, axes, and spears alike, then looked down to examine her pathetic options. There were four wooden weapons to pick from, along with other materials. 

She decided to grab a long bungee cord and a nail from the materials displayed and looks over the weapons again.

She had the choice of either a wooden sword, a wooden spear, a wooden axe, a wooden…

“This. I’ll take this.” She takes the wooden boomerang and turns toward Edge and Gina, walking back to stand next to her.

“SERIOUSLY,” he cackled at her, “THE WOODEN SWORD WOULD’VE BEEN THE BEST OPTION. ANY FOOL COULD SEE THAT! YOU ARE AWARE THAT YOU CAN’T ACTUALLY DEAL DAMAGE WITH THAT, RIGHT?” He states like he’s challenging her intelligence, chuckling at her with his arms crossed.

Y/n simply rolls her eyes, “Yes Edge, I’m fully aware that it’s fake.”

“THAT’S CAPTAIN TO YOU, PEST! SHOW SOME RESPECT FOR YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER!”

“So, you admit that I’m actually helping you?” She smirks at him as his smug look faulters slightly. 

“DON’T FLATTER YOURSELF. I’M WELL AWARE THAT THE QUEEN WISHES FOR THE GUARD TO TREAT YOU LIKE YOU’RE ONE OF US. HOWEVER,” he said menacingly as he walked over and towered over her, “DON’T THINK I WON’T HESITATE TO DESTROY YOU WITH EVERY CHANCE I GET, PEST.”

“You know, I think the nickname is growing on me…” She placed one hand on her chin as she turned to stare at the tent flap, away from the puzzled skeleton. “No one has ever gone out of their way to give me one, so I guess it’s only fitting that I give YOU one too. Hmm…,” she looks back to him, looking him up and down, making him slightly uncomfortable, “I know! I’ll call you Edge Lord, Lord of the Edges! How does that sound?” She says with a massive grin on her face.

“CALL ME THAT ONE MORE TIME, AND ALL OF YOUR FINGERS WILL BE CUT CLEAN OFF FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY IT-”

“You’re very sweet, Edge! But we both know you wouldn’t put your captain title in jeopardy over a little ol’ pest like me,” she gambled, really hoping she’d keep her fingers after this, “so Edge Lord it is! Come Gina, I’d like to try out this f a b u l o u s new weapon Edge Lord just graciously gave me!” She said cheerfully with a hint of smugness as she took Gina by the wrist. Y/n quickly guided the both of them out of the tent, leaving a furious Edge to himself.

“…forgive me if I overstep here Y/n, but you are bat sh*t crazy.” She says nervously, looking back and forth between her and the tent.

“I just might be, my friend. I just might be.” 

She giggled as Y/n joined in.

Gina guides Y/n into a smaller tent that she says is hers. There was nothing but a sleeping bag, a backpack, and two wooden logs for chairs inside. Gina offers her a seat at the larger log, while she fished around in her backpack.

“So, what exactly do you plan on doing with a nail, some bungee cord, and a boomerang?” Gina asks as she plops herself down on a log and offers Y/n a chocolate truffle.

Taking the truffle and popping it into her mouth, she hums in delight at the sweetness. 

“Well, I had a few ideas…” 


	2. The Royal "Niece"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may trigger some readers, so please read with caution.

The ride to the hotel was silent…awkwardly so.

Y/n leaned closer to Red, looking around him to try and get a better view of the passing mountains outside. Red nudged her aggressively and peered over at her, “Don’t get in my space, sweetheart,” he said with so much venom, she shrank back in her seat.

As silence fell over the four of them once again, she started thinking about the mission and the weapons she had to work with. To keep her supplies hidden, Gina had given her a medium sized leg holster to wear under the pants of her jumpsuit.

She recalled the short time they spent in her tent, where they ate chocolate and talked about their favorite hobbies and tv shows. While they were bonding, Y/n made a modification to her boomerang. She made a hole in it with the nail she had and a nearby rock she found, making it large enough to fit the bungee cord through.

_It was actually pretty fun… I wonder if she’d like to hang out once this is all over. I feel like we could be good friends. She probably feels the same way if she trusted me enough to share some embarrassing stories about the Queen of Monsters._

The thought of Toriel made Y/n think about something Toriel had said earlier. 

“Hey Milord…why does the queen call you Black?” At this, Red chuckles as he quickly answers before Milord can respond, “It’s cause his name’s f*ckin Blackberry.”

Milord growls at Red’s amusement as his purple eye lights shrink in anger, “IT’S MILORD TO YOU. ALL OF YOU. AND IT SHOULD NOT MATTER, AS BOTH NAMES ARE COMPLETELY DIGNIFIED.”

Red rolled his eye lights. “Yeah, cause I’m gonna respect someone named BERRY.”

Y/n giggles before joining in, “Come on Red, you should always respect your elder-berries.” She chuckles at her own dumb joke. The rest of them simply groan and glare at her.

_Didn’t Red make a pun just as bad as mine when he slammed me into the ground?! What a hypocrite!_

Deciding to quickly change the subject before another fight broke out, she asked, “Don’t you guys associate yourselves with the royal family?”

“NO, WE’RE CALLED THE ROYAL GUARD BECAUSE WE’RE A PRISSY LITTLE AFTERSCHOOL CLUB. OF COUSE WE DO, YOU IDIOT!” Edge snapped at Y/n as he stared out the window.

Milord looks at her out of the corner of his eye, “WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK SUCH AN UNINTELLIGENT QUESTION, PET?”

Y/n crosses her arms and shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I don’t know… I just thought that we’d be riding in a horse drawn carriage or something.” 

There was plenty of space in the limo for the four of them, but due to their stubbornness, the seating arrangement was impractical. Y/n was forced to sit between Red and Milord, since they wouldn’t stop arguing about which one of them could take out the most “human scum” in one minute, so the three of them were squished together on one couch. Edge sat across from them comfortably, as he had the other couch to himself, since he refused to sit next to anyone “below his ranking.”

“And why was I the only one who had to dress up?” She asked as she looked over each skeleton’s choice of clothing.

They were all wearing the same thing she saw them in earlier, including Red, but he looked at her like she was stupid.

“Whaddya talkin about? I went all out fer this,” Red said grumpily as he gestured towards his lap, “See? I’m wearing my good shorts!”

“PLEASE,” Edge growled at him disapprovingly, “I’D HARDLY CALL PUTTING ON SOME CLEAN GYM SHORTS “ALL OUT.” JUST DON’T GO ANYWHERE NEAR ME AND WE WON’T HAVE A PROBLEM YOU INSOLENT FOOL.”

Y/n adjusted herself in the seat and leaned down to itch her foot. Her arm accidentally touched Red’s leg ever so slightly. 

“I’m not warnin ya again, doll face. If ya wanna keep yer pretty lil head on those shoulders, ya better not do it again.”

_Is he trying to compliment me or scare me?_

“NONE OF US NEED TO, “DRESS UP,” AS YOU PUT IT. UNLIKE YOU, PET, WE AREN’T IMPERSONATING ROYALTY.” Milord rolled his purple eye lights as if that were obvious.

As she turned to confront him on his snappy behavior, she accidentally brushed Red’s leg with her own.

“Keep her over on yer f*ckin side of the couch!” Red growled as he shoved her into Milord.

Milord growled back as he shoved her back towards Red. “THERE’S NO NEED TO REPEAT YOURSELF. I IGNORED YOU JUST FINE THE FIRST TIME.”

“Didn’t the queen order you guys to be nicer to me?” Y/n asked in annoyance, but they ignored her and continued to shove her back and forth like a volleyball at the beach.

“KEEP THE FILTH TO YOUR SIDE OF THE SEAT PEASANT!”

“UP YOURS DRAG SHOW--”

_YOINK_

Red was cut off by the sudden feeling of being tugged to the side, which was quickly followed up by the even MORE abrupt collision of his skull against Milord’s.

Y/n had sat back and grabbed their arms, yanking them towards each other so they butted heads.

They rubbed their skulls as they turned to glare at her.

“IF _BOTH_ OF YOU DON’T SHUT THE F*CK UP AND STOP TOSSING ME AROUND LIKE A SACK OF FLOUR, IMMA YEET YALL’S ASSES OUT THE WINDOW & COMPLETE THIS MISSON BY MYSELF!”

They both paused to look at her in shock before they burst into laughter.

“D-DID YOU HEAR THAT, BLAC - BAHAHAHA!” Red could hardly restrain his hearty cackling and wiped a tear from his socket as Milord wheezed with him, even Edge chuckled at her sudden outburst.

After a long while, their laughter eventually died down, leaving Y/n flushed with anger and embarrassment. 

It was silent the rest of the way, and Y/n took that time to plan their funerals in her head.

-

Still Friday Evening, 6:53 p.m.

It was dark by the time they arrived at their destination, with nothing but the ground lights lining the hotel landscaping and the moon to light the way.

The hotel was a large U-shaped building that had a circular outdoor courtyard in the center of the property. The building had a long stretch of balcony on the second and third floors, each of them overlooking the courtyard.

Y/n inspected the surrounding balconies of the hotel as she walked around the courtyard. Walking around the large fountain in the center, she recalled the measurements from the blueprint she looked over earlier. 

_If the measurements from the blueprint are correct, the cord should be long enough to reach the ground if I do end up using it. If the queen is in immediate danger, going down the stairs might take too long. It may be risky, but it could ultimately save her life if worst comes to worst. We must be prepared for anything._

She sat on the edge of the water fountain, the sound of the water helping to soothe her nerves slightly as she mulled over the situation.

_Milord and the rest of the guard might be able to teleport, but they also might not be available to come to her aid. If they were so confident in their ability to protect her, Toriel never would’ve asked me to come._

Y/n was so deep in thought, she didn’t hear Red calling her.

“Deaf ass b*tch,” he yells as he storms up to her, grabbing her by the collar, “why th’ f*ck are ya ignoring me?!?”

Her attention snaps to him as she fumbles over her words in shock and panic, “S-sorry, I um, kind of got lost in thought-”

“Berry told ya to stay close! If you wander off again,” he glares at her with one big red eye as his other socket light disappears,

“I ’ l l b r e a k y a l e g s, n’ d r a g y a a r o u n d m y s e l f. Got it, doll face?” he says slowly, in a way that sounded like a promise.

Horrified, she quickly nods, tearing her eyes away from his glowing red one. He released his grip, allowing her to scoot away from him. He deeply chuckles at her fear, sending a shiver down her spine, while his eye lights returned to their normal creepiness.

Red took a seat on the edge near her but left an arms-length of space between them. He reached into his pocket and began pulling something out, causing Y/n to jump out of her seat and put her arms out defensively. She cursed her arms for shaking . “Geez, calm down doll,” he smirks at her, holding his hand out, “It’s just yer earpiece.”

Puzzled, she looked at his hand and back at him, not entirely trusting him.

“Jus’ take th’ damn thing. All of the guards got one, see,” He turned so she could see a similar earpiece strapped up to his skull…

…With like, ten pieces of clear tape. 

It took everything in her power not to laugh as he continued, “so unless ya wanna be kept in the dark about what’s goin on, you’ll take it.”

She took a moment to process his words and looked from him to the earpiece. She slowly took it from his cold, boney hand and examined it.

“This is my bro’s ingenious idea of keepin in touch with one another, since th’ place is so f*ckin big. It’s on a private channel, so only guard members can talk in it,” he began to explain, sounding slightly annoyed, like he had better things to do, “ jus’ press th’ lil green button if ya wanna talk in it, and th’ lil red button to mute other people from yapping in yer ear…”

Y/n listened carefully as she looked out across the courtyard, anticipating Toriel’s arrival at any moment. She observed the hotel guests walking around as she placed her earpiece in like Red instructed her to.

As she observed the rest of the humans piling into the hotel, she locked eyes with a pair of green ones. They made her want to throw herself to the ground and hide behind the fountain when she realized who they belonged to. Red’s voice became background noise as her heart ran cold at the familiar sight of…HIM.

_No, no. No no no no nononononononono, NO! What is HE doing here?!? He wasn’t supposed to find me! This wasn’t the plan! I can’t go back I just can’t…I can’t……_

Her palms became sweaty as she started to hyperventilate, taking a few steps back from the fountain.

Red’s POV:

“…and listen here, sweetheart. It’s almost go time, so don’t ya f*ckin flake out now. Jus’ remember what I told ya, and we won’t have a problem-,” he paused when he saw that she was completely ignoring him. 

“Did ya hear anything I just said?!?” he growled angrily as he stood up and got in her face. 

This girl was starting to piss him off. 

Sure, she had given him a good laugh when she tried to be a hero and stood up to them. Hell, she stood up to Boss of all people. But she kept acting like she was better than them, just like the rest of these humans.

However, he faltered slightly when he saw that her horror-stricken expression wasn’t caused by him. Y/n’s (e/c) eyes were fixed on something behind him, and it seemed like dark thoughts were running through her mind a mile a minute. He looked over his shoulder to see what was causing her panic, but he saw nothing but a couple of humans walking by with their luggage.

Red could tell that she was useless in this state, as she was completely unresponsive to his insults and questions. 

There was a horrible sound coming from her soul that made him uneasy. It didn’t sound like the normal fear he had heard the first time they met.

She started to freak him out as the sound only got louder and, to his disbelief, somehow worse.

He decided to fix this the only way he knew how:

With violence.

Red slapped her cheek, HARD, and the sound of bone on skin made him cringe. The screeching sound from her soul ceased. She was snapped back into reality and turned to glare at him.

Normal POV:

“OW! Red, what the hell!”

He jammed his finger into her chest, “Listen to me, and listen good, ya little sh*t. You are NOT, gonna mess this up for everybody. I don’t know what ya saw, or what you think you saw, but yer gonna go in there, and be the best fake Royal Niece that these egotistical anti monster motha-f*ckers have ever seen. Got it?” He said angrily, but it didn’t seem like his anger was directed at her. He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets and turned to leave.

“Red, wait. I-I’m sorry you had to see me like that…thanks for snapping me out of it.”

“Tch, whatever. Just don’t start pissing ya pants, doll face. Listen for directions in th’ earpiece headphones, n’ don’t f*ckin stray from th’ orders. Come on, we gotta job to do.” He grumbled over his shoulder and walked away.

She rubbed her cheek and followed him, her eyes trailing back to the spot where she saw those malicious green eyes.

-

“As you know, our esteemed guests are sitting comfortably in their respective holding cells.” The mayor said to the monsters and humans in attendance. He sat at one end of the table while Toriel sat at the other. The atmosphere was tense. The town’s mayor and his advisors sat around the long table, along with Y/n and the queen, but the rest of the guards were not offered seats and were forced to stand by.

“Understandably, you as their queen would like to see them safely returned to their families and livelihoods. So, we have 3 conditions. The first one being a fair trade.”

“A trade? And what would you want in return?” Toriel questioned, quirking a brow at the chubby man.

“Firstly, we ask that you pay us 50,000 pieces of gold…”

The queen sighed, placing her hands together. “Oh, alright then… I’m sure we can arrange-”

“PER MONSTER in custody.” He stated condescendingly.

“Tha- that’s absurd! Obviously, we cannot accept such terms.”

“I guess your citizens aren’t worth that much to you then.” He smirks at the queen while the rest of the guard glares at him. 

Y/n desperately wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she had to keep it professional. Their purpose here was to get those citizens back safely, and one wrong move could ruin their chances of getting these scums to cooperate. She maintained a neutral expression and settled on clenching her fists under the table.

The queen sighed before sitting up straighter and looking him in the eyes. “I’ll see what I can do,” she says evenly, “what are the rest of the conditions?”

The mayor crosses his arms and smiles in victory. “The second condition is very simple. If we graciously decide to trust you and we merge our lands, your citizens become our own, and must follow our laws. So, of course, your citizens will have to pay taxes to us. We can discuss the rates later, as I’m sure you’re very eager to fetch those monsters as soon as possible.” He said as he looked down at a document in front of him, clicking his pen obnoxiously.

“And…the third condition?” Toriel asked wearily.

“Lastly,” the mayor gestures towards Y/n with one hand, “you will release this poor girl from your clutches, and we’ll consider returning your citizens safely. Did you really think that we would be so foolish as to believe that this is really your niece?!?” The mayor crossed his arms and glared at the queen as she looked to be at a loss for words.

A voice from outside of the room suddenly chimed in. “Why, I even witnessed that short red one threating her! I saw the whole thing with my very eyes.” In walked the myth, the legend, the true “monster” of the evening…

Y/n’s brother, Ian.

Everyone turned to look at him as his green eyes locked on to Y/n’s petrified ones. 

_No…_

She began to sink in her seat as he walked over to her. “Baby sis! I’ve been looking all over for you! Are you hurt? Talk to me, Y/n.” Ian rushes over to her, putting on quite the show as he knelt by her chair, taking her hands in his larger ones. Everyone in the room looked at the two of them, the monsters not buying it for a second, while the other humans seemed to be eating it up.

“Oh no, you’re shaking. Must be cause you’re so scared of these monsters, huh?” He brushes a strand of hair out of her face, his large hand lingering on her cheek before pulling her into a tight hug. She looks down uncomfortably, unable to move or think, until she feels a sharp pinch on her under arm as he whispers to her, “hug me back, baby sis. You wouldn’t want to upset the extra townsmen outside of this room now would you, y/n? They’re awfully angry that these freaks decided to show up at the best hotel in THEIR town.” Her eyes widened at this new information, and her arms shot up to hug him back tightly. 

If it was one thing she wouldn’t let happen, it would be to jeopardize the rescue mission, or put Toriel in danger. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him, but she wouldn’t let him hurt anyone else she cared about.

He finally released her from the suffocating hug, her hands shooting to her lap to fiddle with the fabric of her pants as a coping mechanism for her nerves. She caught sight of his hidden knife out of the corner of her eye as he slid it back up his sleeve.

_Tread lightly but remain firm._ She thought to herself.

“While I appreciate your concern, _dear brother,_ these monsters have been nothing but hospitable to me.”

“Oh? Then why was that angry freak of nature threating you earlier?” Ian challenged, glaring at Red who was glaring back with a look that could kill.

“While it might have appeared that way, Red here was simply giving me a friendly reminder. Of course, he was angry, rightfully so actually…” she said with a sigh as she looked over at Red apologetically, “…I had wandered off when the queen had given me direct orders to stay close to Milord.”

“Do you hear yourself, Y/n?!? You’re taking orders from the queen of monsters, while you call this f*cker your lord?” Ian angrily pointed at Red, who glared back more intensely. “Honestly, the only person you should call that is me- I mean, this freak straight up grabbed you and threatened you! Just because you “disobeyed orders” that you never had to follow, didn’t give him the right to get in your precious face like that.” Ian moved to stand on the other side of her chair. 

He suddenly slammed his fist on the table, making her flinch. He turned towards the mayor, “These monsters have obviously used some sort of evil magic to brain wash her! The Y/n I know and love, would never act this way! I say we let those dirty trespassers rot in jail. We can’t risk releasing more monsters that act like THAT into our humble society!”

The advisors murmured amongst themselves, turning to each other and nodding in agreement. Some of them actively took the time to glare at Red. The royal guards all looked from the queen to Red, then to Y/n, and back at the queen. Toriel was looking at Y/n nervously, almost pleadingly.

Y/n drew in a steady breath, mentally preparing herself to turn up the charm on these scums. If Toriel needed a human speaking on the monster’s behalf to make these guys more comfortable, then that’s exactly what she’d do. 

However, for this to work, she’d have to tell them what they wanted to hear.

She turned to the mayor, ignoring the shivers going down her spine as she felt Ian looming over her. “It is as you say, I am not her niece. These monsters had indeed brain washed me,” she tried not to grimace as she took Ian’s hand in hers, “but touching a loved one breaks the magic curse.” The monsters looked at her dumbfounded, wondering what she was trying to pull. She could practically feel the anger radiating off of her brother next to her, but she kept her cool.

“I suppose they should be punished for doing something so cruel. However,” Y/n says as she took a deep breath, trying not to gag, “since you gentleman have been so heroic and saved me, reuniting me with my… _brother_ … surely, you’re so forgiving as to still hold up your end of the bargain? I missed him _so_ much while they _had me in their clutches,_ I can only imagine that those _poor freaks_ must be feeling the same way. The other conditions can be met with more time, and you seem like reasonable, forgiving patriots. After all, you gentlemen are better than these freaks, right? A human’s compassion is what separates us from them.” She said cheerfully as she gave an especially sickeningly sweet smile towards the mayor.

The mayor looked flustered at the sudden praise, “W-well, I s-suppose we can make an exception this once…”

_Man, that was too easy._

Suddenly, the lights went out, and all hell broke loose.

As her eyes were adjusting to the sudden darkness, she was shoved backwards.

Y/n was able to see a little due to the glow of the monster’s magic, but she could only make out a few figures.

She could vaguely make out Milord’s body standing in front of her protectively. The men around the table were screaming insults and racial slurs as the clashing sound of swords and spears grew louder.

She backed up into what she thought was a wall, until a large pair of arms wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air flow. She kicked and punched at them, struggling to breathe, as another pair of arms grabbed her legs. They carried her out of the room and outside into the courtyard, heading towards the outdoor stairs to the second-floor balcony. Y/n couldn’t make out their faces, as it was still too dark, but listened in on their hushed conversation.

“Quickly! Let’s get this poor girl to safety, n’ get back to slaughtering those freaks!”

“Hold up….what’s the rush? We’ve played our fair part in this operation; I think we deserve to reward ourselves!”

“Fair point, let’s tie her up on the roof then.”

She struggled the entire way, making the kidnapping process slow and awkward for them.

_Good._

Her kidnappers were able to carry her up the staircase and onto the second-floor balcony before they grew tired. They decided to set her down on her feet to catch their breaths, but still held on to her wrists tightly.

_Big mistake._

She swept the leg of one, making them lose their footing and their grip on her wrist. Y/n took advantage of her free arm immediately and gave the other kidnapper a roundhouse punch to the jaw. They both fell to the floor simultaneously, but she didn’t waste any time and grabbed them by their collars.

She yelled at them furiously, “You sick, greedy bastards. You’re holding families against their will, with no food or water! Some of them were injured too, and let me guess, you haven’t offered to heal them, have you?”

They simply chuckled at her as they grabbed her wrists again, pulling her down as they stood up. “Geez, you monster lovers always talk too much-ACK!”

Y/n had suddenly remembered her intense training with Undyne and the top expert advice she had given her as a veteran. 

She decided to kick that same guy in the nuts.

While he crumpled to the ground, Y/n then kicked the other guy in the stomach, sending him tumbling backwards. She whipped out the boomerang that was holstered to her leg and smacked their heads, knocking them out.

_I guess Edge was wrong, this thing CAN deal damage_ , Y/n thought as she flipped it in her hand.

She heard a rumbling sound, like a stampede, when suddenly the courtyard was flooded with hundreds of anti-monster protestors.

_Why is there so many of them?!? I thought this was a small town!_

There was a large explosion on the first floor that came from the opposite side of the large U-shaped building. Y/n guessed that it was where the meeting room was, as Edge, Milord, and Toriel emerged from the gaping hole in the side of the building. The rest of the guard ran out into the courtyard, fighting off the mob of violent protestors. 

Upon further inspection, Y/n realized that most of the anti-monster protestors were actually the “hotel guests” she saw walking by earlier.

_So, this whole thing was a trap from the beginning. Figures._

She saw Milord and Edge protecting the queen, slowly making their way through the crowd towards Y/n’s side of the building. She could tell that they weren’t trying to seriously hurt anyone, probably for the queen’s sake. They set up a wall of bones on either side of them, shoving off individual people who managed to break through.

Y/n unholstered her bungee cord and held the boomerang close, ready to make the quick, but risky way down.

The protestors began separating the three of them, closing in on Toriel. Toriel shot out a controlled ring of fire around her, forcing the protestors to stop their assault. While it protected her, it also trapped her further, and didn’t stop the mob from throwing things at her.

_There’s too many of them! Even if I get the queen out of there, the rest of the guards will be overtaken quickly if I don’t do something….…Oh!_ _The bear mace!_ Y/n gasped in remembrance as she reached for the holster on her other leg. 

Thinking quickly on her feet, she jammed the button and sent it flying into the crowd of protestors like a makeshift tear gas bomb.

She expertly stringed the bungee cord through the hole in the boomerang, and jammed it tightly between the balcony railing bars. Tying the other end of the bungee cord around her waist, she climbed over the railing. Standing on the ledge of the balcony and hanging onto the railing with one hand, she looked down at the protestors throwing things at Toriel.

_I need someone to cover me…wait…where the f*ck is Red?!?_

She held down the green button on her earpiece, “I’m taking the queen to shelter. Red, I need you to cover me!” Y/n practically screamed into it. She was met with nothing but static.

_Guess I’m on my own then. Welp, hope I don’t get hit by anything._

She took a deep breath of clean air and stepped off the ledge. As she fell, the ground started coming closer at an alarming speed. She began to slow down as the cord started to stretch out, threatening to whisk her back up the side of the building.

“Hold on your majesty!” Y/n called out as she reached for her.

She plucked the queen from the ground before she could be hit with a microwave. 

Both were bungeed back up to the second floor. Quickly grabbing the balcony fence with her free hand, Y/n guided the queen to do the same and helped her climb over to safety.

“Are you alright Toriel? Are you injured?” Y/n said worriedly looking her over for injuries.

“No, I’m quite alright, thanks to you.” She spoke in between each heavy gasp for air that wasn’t clouded in bear mace.

Y/n climbed over the fence as well and looked down at the protestors who were now scattering in different directions. The guard chased them away as they too retreated, with the air now tainted by the chemicals.

_The bear mace really did a number on them,_ she thought as she freed the boomerang from the railing bars and began to rewrap the cord around her hand.

But as she saw some protestors beginning to regroup, worry started to creep over her.

“We really need to get to higher ground until reinforcements arrive. It would be bad if they were to gang up on us, as my defense isn’t very strong.”

“This way.” Toriel pointed down a hall as she led Y/n to a stairway. 

_This is just FANTASTIC! What am I supposed to do?!? If we get cornered or something, I don’t think I can protect her! What if Ian corners me?!? If she gets hurt…. or worse…… because of ME…. I need to do something, but what? Think Y/n, THINK! Maybe I can…. Oh! I got it!_

“Toriel, I have a plan, but it could be risky and a bit unorthodox. I’ll need you to trust me.”

She nodded as Y/n began to explain her plan.

-

Y/n sat on the steps as Toriel hid in a cramped space behind the staircase, waiting for the angry mob to come pooling into the room at any moment.

_Nowhere to hide, and so much to fear. No backing out now._

The floor seemed to rumble with the pounding of hundreds of footsteps storming towards her general direction. 

She stood up and turned her back to the sound, taking care to make sure the queen’s robe completely shielded her form.

Now all she had to do was wait for the perfect moment to act.

As she took in a big breath to steady her nerves, she could make out the crowd’s jeers and racist comments.

“There it is!” 

“Let’s get it, boys!” 

“Down with the monster queen!” 

“Horned freak!” 

“Get that furry mongrel!” 

“Hey guys, whAt cOlOr iS aN oRaNGe?”

There was a brief moment of silence, and a shared feeling of confusion between Y/n and the mob before they all seemed to look towards one guy in the center of the crowd.

“Shut the f*ck up, Dave! You’re throwing off our mob vibe!” One guy yelled next to him, smacking the guy named Dave on the back of the head. “I told you guys we should’ve left him at home!” 

“Forget it, just grab her!” 

Just as they were about to close in on her, she launched herself up the stairs, running as fast as she could.

“She’s getting away!” 

“After her!”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she skidded around the corner and up the next flight of stairs.

_So far, so good._

Y/n made sure to lag behind a bit to make sure they saw which direction she was going in. Once she reached the door to the roof, she quickly barred the handles behind her with a nearby broom, and ran towards a tall chimney.

_They haven’t noticed yet… I guess racists aren’t the brightest people. This should hopefully give the queen enough time to evacuate._

She climbed up onto the large chimney and frantically looked across the empty courtyard for a way to escape. She spotted a few of the balcony fences not far from where she was.

_If I can snag the boomerang onto one of those railings on the third floor and swing across, I can climb over the fence and go down the nearby fire escape._

The mob began to bang on the door, loosening the broom with each strike.

Taking out her supplies, she quickly got to work.

She made sure the cord was secure around the wooden boomerang and chucked it across the courtyard. After missing for the fourth time, the boomerang finally wedged itself between the balcony fence like she planned.

_Yes! Oh please, PLEASE let this work…_

Spreading out the heavy royal cape, she tied it around her waist to act as cushioning in order to lessen the damage of the inevitable collision.

_This is SUCH a bad idea,_ she thought as she mentally prepared herself to smack into the brick siding.

The door burst open and the protestors began charging towards her.

“Hey, that’s not the Queen! It’s just one of them monster lovers!”

“You’re gonna pay for tricking us!”

“Grab her!”

“Guys relax, she’s got nowhere to run!”

_I really freaking hope this works!_

Gripping the other end of the cord tightly, she took off towards the edge of the roof as the mob chased her down. Taking her last step, she launched herself into the air.

Somehow, someway, the DIY grappling hook swing worked like a charm. Y/n swung towards the balcony, leaving the angry crowd behind. The building began approaching her at an alarming rate. 

Oh crap, this is gonna hurt!

Smacking into the side of the building, she felt all of the air rush out of her, and something in her side crack. 

She fumbled with her grip on the bungee cord but managed to grab onto the ledge before she fell.

Pulling herself up and over the fence, she sank to the ground as tears pooled from her eyes, blurring her vision.

_Oh great, I think I broke something…heh…nothing new, I guess._

She shakily stood up, leaning onto the balcony for support. Harshly rubbing the tears out of her eyes, she fought through the pain as she forced herself to hobble over to the fire escape. 

“Ok, so far… so good,” she mumbles to herself, “just gotta…get to…the parking…lot…before…I get… _FIRED_ …haha.” She weakly chuckles as she stumbles down the stairs, the queen’s heavy cape falling from around her waist. Collapsing at the bottom, she breathes in and out quickly, trying to maintain consciousness. She hears heavy footsteps running in her direction, and quickly fumbles into the forest, hiding behind a bush. 

“I could’ve sworn I saw her run this way…” 

She held her breath and started shaking when she recognized Ian’s voice a few feet away. She refused to exhale until she heard his footsteps moving farther away from her current hiding spot. Cradling her side, she looked out into the trees in front of her. 

“Parking lot…must be this way…I see…light.” She mumbles to herself as she stumbles out into the woods. A loud ringing starts in her ears, intensifying with every step she takes. She continues to walk for a few minutes until she finds herself totally lost in the overgrown brush of the forest. 

The ringing in her ears increases tenfold, and she’s forced to sit down. “Come on, just...a bit further…I know it’s…around here…” her eyes begin to droop. As she begins to lose consciousness and collapses on the ground, she could’ve sworn she heard someone calling out to her. 

She also could’ve sworn that she saw Milord in a blue scarf….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I started Chapter 3 yesterday, and it just might be my favorite one so far!  
> If you loved it, let me know!  
> If you hated it, let me know!  
> Your feedback will help me grow as a writer!


	3. The Dustlust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter reveals some backstory on how monsters came to the surface, along with Toriel's POV of the rescue mission.  
> This is important to the story, so I'm sorry if you don't care about this kind of stuff, but I tried to make it entertaining.  
> Also, this chapter is shorter than my normal ones. Hopefully you guys won't mind!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR 44 KUDOS AND OVER 300 HITS!!! I'm not sure if that's a lot for an archive story, but it certainly feels like a lot, and I'm grateful for all of you!  
> Also, thank you to everyone who has commented so far, I've kept your suggestions in mind while writing these last few chapters.

_The underground was bigger than we thought._

_When the barrier was destroyed, it not only gave monsters access to the surface, but it also revealed other kingdoms around us._

_Asgore and I weren’t aware of the other kingdoms, we believed that we were the last of monster kind._

_We also weren’t aware of the extra barriers that kept them hidden from us, nor were we prepared for what was waiting on the other side of them…_

_Asgore had slaughtered Frisk and taken all seven souls. He destroyed the barrier. Monsters rejoiced. There was a time of celebration and festivities. While I was happy to finally be free, I could not bring myself to join in. I grieved Frisk’s death._

_Everyone else’s joy was short lived too._

_Apparently, there were four underground kingdoms in total:_

_The Underfell Kingdom, The Underswap kingdom, The Swapfell kingdom, and ours, The Undertale kingdom._

_These neighboring kingdoms were full of monsters that were VERY similar to us._

_We did hold distinct differences between us, but all in all, shared almost identical appearances and personality traits._

_As soon as the barriers came down between us, the monsters from Swapfell and Fell went out to explore the other kingdoms._

_They immediately started killing monsters they saw as “weak” and “unfit for society,” causing widespread violence and panic._

_Sadly, Asgore was dusted during that period of discord. While we were no longer partners, I still cared for him deeply, and cherished our old life together. It was also during this time that Undyne was badly wounded._

_I had not only lost him, but my precious child in the same day. I was all alone again. I was overcome with grief, but I had to step up to lead._

_We were unofficially at war, without a leader, and I couldn’t allow anymore monsters to die a senseless death._

_With a heavy heart, I took up Asgore’s robe, trident, and crown as my own._

_Plenty of other monsters were experiencing loss as well, but they were still fighting. I had to do the same for my people._

_I immediately placed the kingdom on lockdown in hopes of stopping the body count from rising further._

_I then invited all of the royals from the neighboring kingdoms to meet in the throne room. I hoped to negotiate peace so we could advance to the surface without any more turmoil._

_The king and queen from the Underswap kingdom agreed to a peaceful pact, and even expressed their condolences for my loss._

_The kings and queens from the other two kingdoms were, pardon my language, complete b*tches. They encouraged the violence, their message being that only the strong deserved to survive._

_Things only escalated from there, and soon there were disagreements about who should lead all of the monsters to the surface._

_As my kingdom was the only one with access to the surface, the others looked to dust me and take my land for their own._

_The Swaptale king and queen stepped in to defend me and proposed a fair contest. We would do battle for our lands. Whoever the victors were would be dubbed The King and Queen of Monsters._

_I hated the idea of fighting, but there was no other choice. Those were the only terms that seemed to satisfy the majority rule._

_The kings and queens from the “angrier” side of the underground dusted their opponents before quickly turning on each other._

_In the end, The Underfell queen and I were the ones left standing. During our battle, she bragged that she was the one who slaughtered Asgore. She went on to tell me just how easy it was to kill him, how he begged for his life as she slowly severed his limbs…_

_How she started with the arms…_

_Then the legs…_

_And just so he’d stop crying for help…_

_His t o u n g u e._

At first I BEGGED for her to stop, desperate to not relive the heartache that I experienced upon first hearing of Asgore’s demise.

I pleaded, I cried, I SCREAMED—

I fell to my knees, tightly clinging to the earth below me as though it were Asgore himself, slipping between my fingers.

_Until I finally snapped._

_My grief caught up to me, and so did my rage. My desire to avenge my past partner, as well as every monster who had suffered under her tyrannical rule, had increased tenfold with every gory detail the Fell queen described to me._

_Bloodlust…or in my case, dustlust…_

_It overtook me, and I cannot remember what happened after that…_

_All I can remember is vaguely seeing the dust that covered my dress through my blurry vision._

_When I was finally able to pull myself together, I made the proclamation that the other kingdoms’s rulers had fallen, and that I would lead everyone out of the underground. I ended the lockdown and decreed that if anyone proceeded to slaughter more monsters, they would not be allowed to go to the surface. The new law seemed to work, as no one wanted to stay down here any longer if they didn’t have to. I recruited the guard members from the other kingdoms to assist me in ensuring a smooth transition._

_Every monster seemed to be ok with it. The “angrier” monsters concluded for themselves that I was simply the strongest of all the monarchs and deserved the title: “The Queen of Monsters.”_

_I was not strong then, and I am not strong now…I have never felt weaker…more alone…_

_I led the migration to the surface. I contacted the nearest town on the mountain and explained our situation. The humans thought it was some “dumb prank,” because monsters weren’t real…_

_Then we showed up to their town._

_I don’t think any of us will ever forget their screams at the sight of us. I know I’ll never forget the rocks and pitchforks they threw._

_I remember being frightened, but it wasn’t the townspeople that scared me._

_It was the return of that feeling, the strong desire to kill them, that terrified me._

_That was six years ago._

_We’ve made great progress since then, as humans have started to accept us into their society._

_Monsters are now free to live anywhere they wish, with the exception of the first town we walked into..._

_The very same town that held the caved in monsters hostage._

_When Milord told me that monsters were being held there, after I had begged the mayor to save them from the cave in…_

_That desire to kill came back STRONG._

_It wasn’t out of nowhere though. There were plenty of little things that built up to that moment, as humans can be cruel creatures._

_I was going to make the call…_

_I was going to order Milord to get those monsters out of there and leave no witnesses._

_He would’ve done so gladly, along with Edge and Red, as violence is their standard method for problem solving._

_But Undyne came to visit me just in time. She helped me snap out of it and proposed a rescue mission._

_She is such a dear friend to me._

_She was badly wounded during the chaos that ensued after the barrier was destroyed._

_Undyne decided to relieve her duties as the Captain of the Royal Guard and opened a fighting academy in a nearby town._

_She said that she had a lot more free time than she’s used to, and decided to take a café job as well._

_She told me that serving others is really fun and rewarding, even if she’s just bringing people coffee._

_Despite her absence from the guard, she visits me as often as she can. Sometimes we’ll just talk, sometimes we’ll spar, and sometimes we’ll pull practical jokes on guard members._

_Maybe she feels obligated to look out for me since she was close with Asgore…_

_But I do enjoy our time together._

_I couldn’t be more grateful for her friendship, especially when she showed up at the time she did._

_I explained the hostage situation to her, and she thought of a plan on the spot._

_Undyne told me of a student she had named Y/n, and that they were almost as good as her. She explained that Y/n had little to no experience in a real battle and that she was a h u m a n…_

_But Undyne expressed just how perfect she would be for her plan. She told me that Y/n was great at adapting to strange new situations, and she could sweet talk her way through almost anything, making her the perfect candidate._

_It could work!_

_It was going to work…_

_It HAD to._

_This brings us to more recent events._

_Y/n had played her cards right and sweet talked the mayor into letting the monsters go._

_Everything was going according to plan…_

_Until the lights went out._

_Monsters can see in the dark, so the sneak attack on the human’s behalf was pathetic to say the least. The guard and I easily avoided the barrage of attacks._

_But it sure did anger me._

_I shoved a man back into two other townsmen, all while trying to keep my anger at bay._

_We wouldn’t hurt them._

_We couldn’t hurt them._

_We can’t afford to hurt them._

_We’ve worked too hard to lose the few rights we’ve received from human society. If we were to hurt these humans now, they would play victim. This could set us back years of trust building. People would view monsters as aggressive, savage beasts once more, and I couldn’t allow that to happen._

_I focused my anger on blasting down a nearby wall, giving us an easy exit._

_As the guards and I emerged from the gaping hole in the side of the building, we saw a sea of angry humans charging towards us._

_I quickly made eye contact with Milord and Edge. They nodded, knowing what my look meant:_

_“Prepare yourselves to defend, and ONLY defend.”_

_They instinctively went out to stand on either side of me, raising a wall of bones to protect us. I held out my hands in front of me, engulfing them in flames to wave at the mob, forcing them to back away._

_But the crowd was persistent and started to throw heavy objects over the wall of bones. We easily dodged, but I was separated from Milord and Edge in the process._

_The crowd closed in on me, backing me into a brick wall on the other side of the hotel._

_I shot out a ring of fire around me. It was the only way to protect myself without hurting them._

_But the urge to fight continued to grow as they kept chucking things at my head._

_I wanted to kill…_

_I couldn’t let myself do it._

_But the more they threw things…_

_And the comments they were making…_

_The jeering and sneering…_

_The noise…_

_So much noise…_

_I wanted it to stop…_

_Suddenly, I had trouble breathing._

_The center of the crowd began to disperse, freeing up space for Milord and Edge to escape the throng of people._

_I wanted to chase every last one of them, and kill them…_

_Without thinking, I raised my hands._

_I was ready to rain fire down on the crowd…but…_

_“Hold on your majesty!”_

_A voice from above snapped me out of my trance._

_Two arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders, and I was suddenly flying upwards._

_It was Y/n…_

_Before I knew it, I was climbing over a balcony fence on the second floor with her assistance._

_In that moment, I wasn’t sure if she saved me, or them…_

_“Are you alright Toriel? Are you injured?” Y/n asked worriedly as she looked me over for injuries._

_“No, I’m…quite alright…thanks to…you.” I responded in between each heavy gasp for air._

_I looked down at the scattering_ protesters.

_What seemed like a toxic mist was quickly spreading over the courtyard. It forced the mob to retreat and the guard as well._

_That explained why I was struggling to breathe…_

_We saw the protesters beginning to regroup, and Y/n suggested that we seek higher ground. I agreed and led her to the nearby stairway._

_-_

_Somehow, someway, her plan worked._

_Like the idiots they were, the protesters followed Y/n up the flight of stairs, thinking it was me._

_Once the coast was clear, I shimmied my way out of the cramped space behind the stairs and booked it towards the fire escape._

_I ran from the hotel and found Greater Dog and Dogaressa nearby. They escorted me back towards the parking lot, hurrying me to a different vehicle than the one I had originally arrived in._

_I looked back towards the hotel, worried about Y/n and the others._

_I could’ve sworn I saw something fly through the darkness. Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, it looked like it came from the roof…_

_Oh no._

_Her plan was to draw them to the roof, but she hadn’t explained how she would get down safely._

_The guards forced me into the vehicle as I struggled, insisting that I go back for her._

_I couldn’t let her die; I couldn’t let anyone else die._

_Not again._

_The guards held me back, saying that it was far too dangerous, as they could hear the townspeople storming down the steps and heading in our direction._

_Greater Dog and Lesser Dog offered to go back and search for her in my stead._

_I probably thanked them a million times before my door was finally slammed shut and the car sped out of the parking lot._

_-_

_I waited on my throne. I refused to move until I knew she was ok._

_Finally, after hours of waiting, Milord came through the tent flap looking exhausted._

_He said that they looked everywhere around the hotel. They even searched miles of the forest around the property, even farther than they thought a possibly injured human could travel._

_They couldn’t find her._

_I was so frustrated…..._

_“….add her to the watchlist. You already know what to do, Milord. Thank you for your hard work as always. I am truly grateful for your dedication.”_

_He had bowed respectfully and left without another word._

_As soon as he was gone, I ordered Gina to bring me a dummy. I tore it to shreds, needing to release my anger on something ._

_Y/n reminds me of my family so much…_

_She’s clever like Chara, kind and selfless like Asriel, brave like Asgore…_

_Determined like Frisk…_

_If we don’t find her soon…_

_I don’t think I’ll be able to control my anger…_

_And if that happens, I won’t hesitate to annihilate those bastards._

_I refuse to let these scum demolish any more lives…_

_As long as they are alive,_

_They pose a threat to the very little order that we’ve been able to accomplish over these six years._

_I intend to do whatever it takes to protect my people._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're STILL reading this, you're a real one and we're friends now!  
> If you're still still reading this note, I have a question. Are my chapters too long? Would it be better to release 2 shorter chapters instead of 1 long chapter?


	4. The Magic Tacos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/n wakes up in a strange house, there's angst, doubt, and tacos : )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your feedback on the last chapter! In terms of chapter length, the majority of you guys said to just do whatever I was more comfortable with/whatever fits the story better, so I'll continue to do that!  
> 500 HITS?!? Sheesh, I guess you guys really like this story lol.  
> This chapter was really fun to write omg, please enjoy!

_It’s “my fault for crying too much”_ _……when was the last time I had anything hot to eat? …...He promised he’d make me something special if I didn’t make any noise while his friends were over…._

_It hurts...Ian, please, it hurts so much……I won’t cry again, I promise! Just please…PLEASE STOP!_

Y/n quickly shot up, breathing heavily with tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Slightly shaking, she clutched the blanket and drew her knees to her chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Out of habit, she swiftly wiped her tears away and forced her face into a neutral expression. She looked around at her strange surroundings. She was sitting on a faded green couch in someone’s living room, with a coffee table and tv sitting a few feet away from her.

“OH, HUMAN! YOU’RE AWAKE! PAPPY, THE HUMAN JUST WOKE UP!” A cheery voice yelled over their shoulder as they approached her. She couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact though and decided to cocoon herself in the blanket. While staring down at their blue boots, she attempted to fight off the dark thoughts that plagued her mind. 

“UH…HUMAN? ARE YOU OK?” 

“Uh…yeah.” She took in a shaky breath. She could practically still hear the venomous tone of Ian’s voice, as if she had never left the nightmare: _“Stop crying, dammit! You’re being so dramatic! It’s YOUR fault for being so damn weak! If you had just done what I asked you to, none of this would’ve happened!”_

She decided to suppress the painful memories and turned her attention back to the person in front of her.

“S-sorry, um… I’m fine, just kinda... _tired_. Where am I? How did I get here?”

“WELL, WE FOUND YOU PASSED OUT IN THE WOODS AND DECIDED TO TAKE YOU HOME! OH, UH… THAT DIDN’T COME OUT RIGHT…” He chuckled awkwardly. “YOU WERE INJURED BADLY, SO WE CARRIED YOU HERE TO HEAL YOU!” He said proudly as he sat on the coffee table across from her. “MY NAME IS BLUEBERRY, BUT YOU CAN CALL ME BLUE! AND YOU ARE…?”

“Y/n. Nice to meet you, Blue.” She said with a small smile as she finally looked up at him. The skeleton before her was like a clone of Red and Milord, minus their demeanor. He had the same outfit as Milord, but instead of purple, he had blue gloves, boots, and a scarf. He also didn’t have a scar running over his left eye socket, in fact, his big blue eyes lacked the same aggression the others seemed to have towards her. And unlike Red, he had the kindest, warmest smile she had ever seen.

“Y/N…THAT’S A REALLY NICE NAME! ARE YOU HUNGRY, Y/N? YOU WOKE UP JUST IN TIME TO TRY MY WORLD-FAMOUS TACOS!” He declared cheerfully as he excitedly waited for her response.

“Sure, sounds good!” She chuckled at his excitable nature. His happiness was contagious.

“GREAT! YOU STAY RIGHT THERE; I’LL BRING YOU A PLATE!!!” He said as he ran to the kitchen to prepare a plate for her. She giggled at his actions and rubbed her eyes. A sinking feeling slowly returned as she recalled her nightmare.

_Ugh, I WISH that were just a nightmare._ She thought to herself as she tried to push her thoughts elsewhere. 

Y/n decided to try to recall the events that landed her in this situation.

_A swing…the roof…the hotel…angry mob…angry skeletons…the queen…THE QUEEN!_

Patting herself down, she realized that her things were missing. 

_I vaguely remember leaving my weapons behind, and the queen’s robe fell off me at some point, but…_

She practically leapt ten feet off the couch as she scrambled to find her phone, or at the very least, her earpiece. She tore the blanket from the couch, searching between cushions, looking under and behind the couch and coffee table…

It’s not here.

“Where is it- OW!” She hissed as she sank to the floor. Her rib cage was not prepared for her sudden movements. The injury she received earlier made her side burn, causing tears to form in her eyes once again.

“You ok there, human?” Said a tall looking skeleton who had walked in to see Y/n sprawled on the floor in a _very_ uncomfortable looking position. 

He looked like Edge, but if he never had that scar over his eye, and if he was super high. He wore a large orange hoodie with brown cargo shorts and a pair of orange, untied sneakers. His posture and tone were very laid back, and he had creases under his eyes that she believed to be the skeleton version of eye bags.

“Yep! Just freaking dandy!” She retorted sarcastically, to which he chuckled.

“Hey bro, the human looks like they could use some help.” He said as he whipped out a bottle of honey from his hoodie pocket and took a big swig.

“WHA – HUMAN!?!” Blue exclaimed as he rushed to her side. “WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID YOU FALL OFF THE COUCH?!?” He questioned as he gently picked her up bridal style and set her back on the couch.

“Well, I didn’t exactly fall…I noticed my phone was missing, then I panicked and started looking for it…next thing I know, I’m on the floor with a major pain in my side.” She said as she winced from the burning sensation that seemed to be growing.

“YOU NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL! YOU COULD’VE SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF FURTHER! RIGHT NOW, YOUR TOP PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO GET BACK TO FULL STRENGTH! BUT WORRY NOT HUMAN, FOR YOU ARE IN LUCK! I, THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE, WILL NURSE YOU BACK TO HEALTH!” He proclaimed and struck a pose. At the same time, a gust of wind, coming out of nowhere, made his scarf flow dramatically.

She couldn’t help but giggle at his antics. “Thank you, oh magnificent Blue.” She slightly teased as he lightly blushed a shade of blue that matched his eyes.

“YOUR PLATE IS ALMOST COMPLETE! I JUST NEED TO ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES…” He said quickly as he began to walk away. “PAPPY! DON’T BE RUDE! INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE HUMAN, Y/N!”

“Sure thing, bro.” He winked at him as Blue disappeared into the kitchen again.

“Wassup, I’m Stretch.” He half waved at her as he walked over and sat on the other side of the couch, across from her. “Your name’s Y/n, right? Pretty name.” 

“Thanks…” She said as she rubbed her aching side in a futile attempt to comfort herself.

“So…it might be none of my business, but what were you doing in the woods? Not many humans live around here, and very few are brave enough to venture this far in.” He said before taking another swig of honey.

“Um, it’s a long story and… is that … honey?” She questioned as she sat crisscross, facing him.

“Sure is. Ya want some?” He shook the half empty bottle towards her.

“I’ll…pass, thanks.” She scrunched her nose in disgust.

He chuckled at her reaction. “Suit yourself.” He took another sip and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. “So, are you at least gonna tell me how you got that injury?” He lit his cigarette, taking a long drag from it.

_Blue seems nice enough, but something about Stretch seems kinda…off. The “party” was a very private affair, so it’s probably best that I keep details to a minimum._ She thought as she carefully chose her words.

Y/n chuckled sadly while continuing to rub her side, “That’s…a long story too… but let’s just say I was at a party, and things took an unexpected turn. I kinda got separated from my friends near the end of it. I was so drunk I must have tripped and fell on my side…and I swear I heard something crack,” she grimaced, recalling her collision with the brick wall, “I thought I saw a light, so I stumbled out into the woods, thinking the parking lot was nearby. I don’t know how far I walked, but I must have collapsed at some point, and then you found me.”

_It wasn’t a complete lie. I just left out a few major details and sprinkled in the “I was drunk” excuse._

“Hmm…” He thought aloud. “What a coincidence, I just finished writing a book about falling, but it was about falling down the stairs. It’s a step-by-step guide.”

“Wait… did you just- HAH!” She suddenly snorted and chuckled at the dumb joke; her mirth filling the room. He howled in laughter at her unexpected snort, which made her laugh and snort again, sending them into a stupid cycle of laughter.

“Ow…ow….ow…it wasn’t…even that funny…” She tried to suppress her giggles and clutched her sides to stop the pain.

“I’ve…never heard…a human do that before. I guess when it comes to hearing funny laughs, I got the _snort_ end of the stick!” He said as he fell into the couch and wheezed.

“Oh, come on…ow…it’s not that…ow…funny…” She tried to protest but couldn’t stop herself from chuckling with him.

“Y/N, YOUR TACO IS READY!” Blue came skidding around the corner with a steaming plate just as they began to settle down. He placed it into her hand that wasn’t holding her side, and sat on the coffee table once more, waiting impatiently for her to try it.

She examined the beef and cheese in the taco shell, searching for anything remotely alarming, before shrugging and taking a bite.

“This is SO good!” She exclaimed, tearing up a bit and greedily taking another bite. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a homecooked meal…”. 

Blue gasped for longer than what is physically possible, “THAT WON’T DO AT ALL! A HUMAN SUCH AS YOURSELF NEEDS TO HAVE THREE HEALTHY MEALS A DAY! HONESTLY, Y/N, I’M IMPRESSED THAT YOU’VE STAYED ALIVE FOR THIS LONG!”

_Heh, that makes two of us…_

“I’m usually too busy to make meals…I just get takeout most of the time and-” she jumped as Blue slammed his hands on the coffee table below him.

“NO! JUST…NO! THIS WON’T DO!”

He sprung up and began to pace in front of her with a hand placed on his chin in deep thought. She looked over at Stretch for answers, but he just shrugged and exhaled…orange smoke?

“OK! I’VE DECIDED! I’M GOING TO COOK DINNER FOR YOU!” he says as he dramatically pointed at her, his other hand on his hip as his scarf blew in the wind.

_Seriously, where does that draft keep coming from?!?_

“That’s very sweet Blue, but you don’t have to do that-”

“I INSIST! I, THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE, PROMISE TO COOK DINNER FOR YOU! THERE’S NO TALKING ME OUT OF IT NOW, HUMAN. FOR YOU SEE, I NEVER BREAK MY PROMISES!”

“S-true. Blue’s never broken a promise.” Stretch said as he sipped on his honey.

“PAPPY! YOU HAVE GOT TO STOP THAT DISGUSTING HABIT! AND YOU SHOULDN’T BE SMOKING IN THE HOUSE, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE HAVE COMPANY OVER!!!” Blue lectured him and crossed his arms in disapproval.

“Sorry bro, you know I have a sweet tooth.” 

“PAPPY NO.”

“But don’t worry bro, I won’t get chub-bee. Even if I do, beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder, right?” He chuckled and winked at Blue who started to fume.

Their dynamic kind of reminded her of Red and Edge when they first met, except this dynamic was _way_ more lighthearted.

“Hey, Stretch,” Y/n began to giggle, “has anyone ever told you that your jokes are really good? Some might even say that you’re a _honey_ guy.”

The two of them burst into a fit of giggles, collapsing further into the couch as Blue screamed at them.

“NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE YOU BONEHEAD! YOU BROKE THE HUMAN!” He screeched as he stomped his foot.

The two of them laughed even more as Blue realized his mistake in making the unintended pun. He looked away as a smile crept on his face. He’d never admit it out loud, but he secretly liked puns. His brother over did them, but puns were always fun and witty, which met his standards.

After the laughter had died down a bit, Y/n rested her head on the back of the couch, wincing at the pain once more. Looking up at the ceiling, she asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

“About a day now. You slept all through Saturday. Blue here was worried that you’d never wake up.”

“WHILE YOU WERE OUT, I MADE A BUNCH OF TACOS! I WAS SURE THAT THE DELICIOUS SMELL WOULD WAKE YOU, BUT APPARENTLY NOT.” He said disappointedly as his shoulders sagged slightly.

“Hey, I’m sure those tacos were just as delicious as the ones I just ate. Besides, I’m pretty sure I saw dancing tacos somewhere in my dreams. That must mean your cooking was powerful enough to affect them.” She said with a sympathetic smile, hating the look of disappointment on him.

The compliment made him revert into his excited self once more, his blue eye lights changing into the shape of stars. 

“But speaking of being out for a day…where’s the restroom?” She said awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck.

“OH! THIS WAY, HUMAN!” Blue said as he walked off down the hall without her and disappeared around the corner. She slowly stood, wincing as she leaned on the couch arm for support.

Blue poked his head out from around the corner in confusion as to why she wasn’t right behind him.

“OH RIGHT, YOUR INJURY!” He said as he jogged back over to her. He held out his arm to her for support, which she gladly took. The two of them slowly made their way down the hall and stood in front of a door she assumed to be the bathroom. She thanked him for his help, before quickly shutting the door and rushing to pee.

_Ok…phew, that was close._

She shivered and rubbed her arms to warm herself up in the cold bathroom. It didn’t help that she was wearing a jumpsuit, and therefore, had to take the whole thing off just to use the loo.

Once she was finished and put her suit back on, she sank to the floor and sat against the wall, sighing deeply.

_I really hope Toriel is ok….along with Gina…_

_While Red, Edge, and Milord have been nothing but disrespectful, I still hope they’re ok. Those protestors don’t deserve the satisfaction of winning._

_They probably all hate me now…after what I said at the meeting…_

She took in a shaky breath and rested her head on her knees, recalling the moment she saw HIM.

_It doesn’t matter why Ian’s here; I know the reason anyway…what matters is what I do from this moment forward. Skipping town and trying again somewhere else has always been my go-to, but how long can I keep this up before he catches me again? Besides, I’ve built a life here. It’s nothing super glamourous, but it’s…nice…to have people that care about me._ She sighed as she remembered her inside jokes with Jenny, the few good friends she had made at the academy, how much fun she would have with Undyne at her café job or training after school… 

_But…it’s because I care about them…that I should probably leave… I got too comfortable, and now I’ve made this harder than it needs to be…why did I stay?!? Why did I have to stay for a whole YEAR?!? Why didn’t I just leave after Jenny helped me?!_

_……why can’t this bastard just…give up…and leave me alone…?_

Angry hot tears streamed down her face as she did her best to sob quietly. She felt her sadness and anger starting to grow, which meant it was time to reel it in before it got out of control. She sat there for a moment to let her emotions settle before she got up and walked to the sink to clean herself up. She looked in the mirror, seeing her shambled state. Mascara was smudged all around her eyes and her hair was a complete mess…again. She chuckled weakly as she grabbed a paper towel and soaked it with water, wiping under her eyes. 

She really felt like crying more, but if she gave herself the opportunity, she’d probably start to ugly cry and wouldn’t be able to stop. She didn’t want to spiral down that rabbit hole of emotions in a stranger’s bathroom. She could wait till she got home.

_Home…I never thought I’d have a place to call that…_

Fixing her hair into a lazily done bun at the nape of her neck, she fanned her face and blinked rapidly to bring down the swelling around her eyes.

When she exited the bathroom, she saw that Stretch was still sitting on the couch and was now scrolling through his phone, while Blue was nowhere to be seen.

She limped back over to the couch and slowly sat next to him with a sigh. 

“…I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but didn’t you guys say that you could heal me?” Y/n asked as she tried to find a comfortable position to sit in. 

“I mean, we’ve done all we can. You ate both of those tacos, right? It’s been, what, fifteen minutes? How do you feel now?”

“I mean, my ribs don’t hurt as much as they did when I woke up…” Y/n admitted as she rubbed her side in relief and confusion, looking back up at the ceiling.

“That’s cause you ate monster food. Monsters are made of magic, and so is our food. It’s got some healing properties to it.” He said simply as he kicked up his feet on the empty middle seat of the couch. “The healing rate is different for everyone, depending on the injury, or the size and age of the person. It usually works instantly though, so you’re either really hurt, or really unlucky.” He says and finally looks up at her from his phone, “Say, when you were at that party, how handy was that earpiece you had? It looked pretty expensive, not to mention state of the art. Not quite sure why you’d bring something like that to a party with so much alcohol involved.”

Her blood ran cold as she slowly looked over at him, trying to keep a neutral expression. In one of his hands was the earpiece Red had given her, while he had his phone in the other. No, not his phone. HER phone.

“I did some searching, and this thing ain’t being sold anywhere. Monsters have been disappearing left and right lately, so the queen set up a neighborhood watch program in every monster town. I just so happen to be a part of that watch, and I know for a fact that these lil devices have been specially made for the royal guard. Now,” He said in a slightly deeper voice, sending a shiver down her back, “you gonna start tellin me the truth, or are we doin things the hard way?”

Her mind was racing as she tried to comprehend everything he just told her. Naturally, she would’ve told him that THEY were the ones who brought her here, and that he had no right to snoop through her belongings… 

But while he still maintained his laid-back nature, he also gave off a threatening vibe, one that unnerved her. She couldn’t be too careful.

_The queen DID tell me to come alone…. and not to tell anyone about where I was going or what I was doing, so…_

_I can’t tell him everything. I just need to tell him enough to justify me having the earpiece. Surely, I can at least tell him I’m a guard…right? Toriel never said that guard members had to keep their membership a secret…she mainly wanted to keep the hostage situation under wraps._

“Ok, you caught me. I’m a royal guardsman. Temporarily anyway. Thus, why I have that earpiece.”

Stretch chuckled, “Nice try, but I’m not that gullible. Strike one.”

“W-wait, what-”

“You got two more chances to tell me the truth.”

“But I AM telling the truth!”

“Strike two. Choose your next words carefully.” His right eye started to glow a faint orange color, making her panic as it reminded her of Red’s glowing eye.

But she couldn’t back down now, she WAS telling the truth!

“I. WORK. FOR. THE. QUEEN. Why would I even lie about something like that?!?” She threw her arms up in frustration and glared at him.

He took a moment to study her expression and sighed.

“You’re a pretty convincing liar, I’ll give ya that. But I don’t feel any sort of malicious intent behind it, so I’ll leave it be for now.”

“Why is that so hard to believe?!? I’m perfectly capable of being in the guard!” She grumbled in frustration.

He shrugged, “Maybe, but I don’t really trust humans. For all I know, you could’ve stolen th’ earpiece from a guard while they were sleeping.”

“So…you weren’t gonna believe me, regardless of what I said…?” She clenched the blanket as she glared at him.

“Well, excuse me for not blindly trusting a stranger I found in the woods.” He quipped with a subtle roll of his eye lights.

She crossed her arms and sighed, “Fair enough. But just so you know, this stranger,” she jammed her thumb into her chest, “isn’t the type of person to lie for no reason, and in this case, I’m not.”

He just shrugged again, “It really doesn’t matter, I’ll find out the truth. I have my ways.” He pointed one finger towards Y/n, her phone and earpiece becoming shrouded in an orange, mist-like aura. Completely mesmerized, she watched as her items floated over to her lap.

She looked at her stuff and back up at him with a dumfounded look on her face.

“Ta-Da.” He did jazz hands while chuckling at her expression.

“Can every skeleton do that…?” Y/n thought out loud as she picked up her earpiece and examined it. She sighed in relief to see that it wasn’t broken.

“Pretty much. How many skeletons have you met exactly?”

“Um, let’s see… everyone I met in the guard…because y’know…I’m IN THE GUARD,” she paused to glared at him because she was salty, “plus you guys today…that makes five. You guys look very similar to each other, too.”

“Hmm.” He simply hummed as he stood up from the couch and took another sip from the nearly empty honey bottle.

“Like…REALLY similar…do monsters, or at least skeletons, reproduce through mitosis or something?”

The question caught him off guard and he almost spat out his “drink.”

He chuckled and began to choke. Honey was most likely stuck in his throat, as he was sent into a laughing coughing fit.

She urgently, but slowly due to her injury, stood up and came to his aid. She patted his back until he started to calm down.

“…you good, dude?” She asked him as she continued to pat his back.

“Yeah…ya just… _caught_ me by surprise is all.” She chuckled with him as he got the last of his coughs out.

Her phone on the couch started vibrating. She wobbled back over to check on it, only to see someone calling…

_Oh no._

_It was Undyne._

_If I was asleep all day yesterday, then today is Sunday…_

_Which not only means that I missed my training and cooking lessons, but I missed work._

She sighed and turned to Stretch, who looked at her curiously. 

“Um, I have to take this. You might not believe me when I say this, but it’s a friend of mine.” Stretch shrugged and stuffed his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, walking towards the kitchen to give her privacy. She chuckled nervously as she answered the phone, bracing herself for the lecture she was about to endure.

“Hey Undy-”

“NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” Y/n quickly held her phone away from her ear, wincing at the sudden outburst.

“WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?!?! I’VE BEEN CALLING YOU NON-STOP!”

“Yeah, I see that.” She said as she caught a glimpse of her notifications. Undyne had indeed called her 104 times.

“THE QUEEN TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY! SHE’S BEEN CALLING ME SINCE YESTERDAY TO ASK ME WHERE YOU ARE!”

“Wait…really?”

“YES REALLY! I WENT BY YOUR PLACE AND YOU WEREN’T THERE, YOU DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR WORK, AND THEN YOU WOULDN’T ANSWER YOUR PHONE…I THOUGHT…I thought…” her voice carried a hint of sadness before she quickly snapped back into her intense tone.

“I WAS GETTING WORRIED THAT SOMEONE HAD DEFEATED YOU BEFORE I EXACTED MY REVENGE!” The two of them chuckled, recalling the whole chess incident. “But jokes aside, where are ya? I’m comin to get you, and I WON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!’’

Y/n chuckled as she walked towards the kitchen, “Of course you wouldn’t. Hold on,” she muted the call and stuck her head into the kitchen from behind the wall. Stretch was sitting at a table, hunched over a laptop, and typing away furiously. “Hey Stretch? Can I have the address? My friend’s gonna come pick me up.”

Without looking up from his screen, he told her the address. She thanked him, unmuted the call, and repeated it back to her.

There was a moment of silence on Undyne’s side of the call before she finally spoke. “…are you serious?”

“Um…yes?”

“YOU WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME?!?”

“Yeah…wait, you know this house?” Y/n questioned as she rubbed her side.

“Stay where you are, I’m on my way!”

She hung up quickly.

Y/n brought the phone from her ear and stared at the ended call screen. “...ooook?” 

“HEY Y/N! SORRY I DISAPPEARED LIKE THAT; I HAD A LOAD OF LAUNDRY TO TAKE CARE OF.” Blue said as he walked down the stairs towards her.

Concern quickly replaced his natural smile as he looked at her still rubbing her side. “ARE YOU FEELING ANY BETTER?”

He walked up to her but stopped when he noticed something.

“Yeah, I think those “magic tacos” are starting to kick in now and…um…Blue?” His staring was making her slightly uncomfortable.

“S-SORRY UM, YOU’RE JUST…WAY SHORTER THAN I EXPECTED YOU TO BE. T-THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, OF COURSE!” He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

She was about the same height as him, but he was probably shorter without his boots on. She put two and two together and took a gamble as to why he’d notice something like that.

“It’s ok Blue, I get it. I know what it feels like to be shorter than most people. Most, if not all of my friends, are taller than me too. It’s not every day that I meet someone about my height either. ” She said sympathetically.

Normally, he would’ve denied such a bold assumption, but…her answer was so genuine, and he didn’t feel any malicious intent behind it. It got him curious.

“…HOW DID YOU KNOW…?”

She guessed correctly. “I mean, My friends pick on me for being short sometimes, but it’s all-in good fun. Sometimes I compensate by wearing heels to work. Just so, y’know, I’m not the-”

“SHORTEST ONE IN THE ROOM?”

“Exactly,” she said as she crossed her arms, “my height has never been an extreme issue for me, but I can relate, at least a little. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you should never let what people think about you affect who you are.”

“…CAN I…HAVE A HUG?” He looked like a whimpering puppy; his sad eyes could melt anyone’s heart.

“Omg, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry, I-”

“No no, it’s ok, Y/n,” he said quietly as tears formed in the corner of his eye sockets, “…no human has ever been so nice to me before…”

Her heart broke at his words, and she wondered who had the audacity to be so cruel to such a sweet person. She quickly opened her arms to him, and he snatched her up in a tight embrace, while being careful not to touch her still aching side.

“…thank you.” He said as he lightly sniffled.

“Don’t be silly, I should be thanking you! So what if I said a few nice things, YOU SAVED MY LIFE. You brought a complete stranger into your home with open arms and gave them the best tacos they’ve ever had.”

They separated from the hug, Blue’s cheeks dusted with a light shade of baby blue from the encouragement.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Blue jumped back and put a hand on his hip, pointing a finger at her accusingly, “Y-YOU CAN’T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS!”

She smiled at him, glad that he was no longer sad, “Wouldn’t dream of it. We can’t have people thinking the magnificent Blue has a weakness! Besides, what are friends for?”

“WE’RE…WE’RE FRIENDS…?”

“I mean, I’m not that great at making them, but I feel like this would qualify- woah!”

In his utter excitement, Blue snatched her up and spun her around the room.

“I HAVE A HUMAN FRIEND!!!” He excitedly proclaimed to no one in particular as she giggled with him.

His magic started to activate, and the two of them started to float as he spun her around.

As cool as this was, Y/n felt like she was gonna throw up.

“Um, Blue? Getting a little motion sick here…” She started to gag a little.

“OH! SORRY NEW FRIEND! I’M JUST SO EXCITED!” He set them back on the ground gently.

She was really dizzy. She held her head with one hand while bracing against Blue with the other.

“I’M SO SORRY! ARE YOU OK, HUMAN FRIEND Y/N?”

“I’ll be fine, just…give me a heads up before you do that, ok?” She faintly chuckled as the world around her finally stopped moving sideways.

“HEY, Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“CAN I…HAVE YOUR NUMBER? PLATONICALLY, OF COURSE! I INTEND TO KEEP MY PROMISE AND MAKE YOU DINNER!”

“Of course, it’s important that we keep in touch! I’ll need some time to think of a good way to pay you back for your hospitality though…”

“THAT WON’T BE NECESSARY, BUT I APPRECIATE THE GESTURE. CONSIDER ME SAVING YOUR LIFE AS…A FRIEND DOING SOMETHING FOR ANOTHER FRIEND, FRIEND!”

They exchanged numbers.

“Y’know…it’s kind of a relief on my neck to talk to someone my height for once.”

“RIGHT?!? MY VERTEBRAE HASN’T ACHED ONCE THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION!”

Their shared chuckles were then interrupted by a furious pounding on the front door, along with a ridiculous amount of doorbell ringing.

_Thaaaaat must be Undyne…._

The door was suddenly broken off its hinges as the angry fish monster came bursting through the door frame.

“W H E R E ’ S S T R E T C H ?!?” 


	5. The Human on the Watchlist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An angry Undyne bursts through the door.  
> What will you do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back, back againnnnnnnnnn  
> Firstly, I'm so so so SO sorry for not updating, college is hard and even harder online.  
> Secondly, I'm posting now cause I wanted you guys to know I'm still doing this.  
> Thirdly, HOLY CRAP WE GOT 1,000 hits and almost a hundred likes?!?! I'm drowning in my tears of joy rn  
> Hopefully I can get a consistent posting schedule going soon, but not this week cause midterms hahahahaaa :D

Y/n’s POV

“W H E R E ’S S T R E T C H ?!?” Undyne yelled with a magic blue spear in hand.

“UNDYNE? WHY ARE YOU HERE?” Blue questioned, seemingly unphased by the sudden break in.

The three of you heard a muttered “ah sh*t” come from the kitchen before Stretch suddenly appeared in the room with his hands up defensively. “Hey, Undyne. Long time no see.”

The events that unfolded after his casual greeting happened so fast, you weren’t even sure if it happened or if you had imagined it.

Undyne threw a spear at his head, and he narrowly dodged as it hit the wall behind him. The impact caused large cracks to form in the drywall around the magic spear. 

She proceeded to rain down a barrage of spear attacks in his direction as he quickly disappeared and reappeared in random places in the house. At some point during the dodging fiasco, he ended up appearing and slouching close behind you. You nearly had a heart attack from his sudden appearance. Your fight or flight kicked in, and your feet decided to move away from him. But like the graceful swan you are, you tripped in the spur of the moment. Luckily, Stretch grabbed your arm and steadied you just in time.

You were about to thank him for catching you, until he started using you as a human shield.

“YOU ABSOLUTE COWARD! FACE ME LIKE A REAL MONSTER, LONGHEAD!” Undyne yelled at him as she paused her assault, not wanting to hurt you.

“PAPPY! NO USING MY FRIEND AS A SHIELD!” Blue stomped his foot and used his magic to pull you away from him. He stepped in front of you protectively with his arms out in a fighting stance.

“Sorry bro, but I don’t see the _point_ in getting my ass kicked today.” He chuckled as he stopped dodging to catch his breath.

“LANGUAGE! AND THIS IS NO TIME FOR JOKES!” Blue scolded him.

Undyne used the slight distraction as an opportunity to grab him by the collar of his hoodie. “ Stretch,” she said slowly and menacingly, and you could see the bundle of nerves within him beginning to surface. 

“I asked you to do ONE thing. What was it?” 

“Find the human girl on the watchlist?”

“Exactly. SO WHY,” she shoved a spear closer to his face, “DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SHE WAS HERE?!?”

“Well, uh…you only asked me to FIND her so…. oh look, there she is,” he jabbed a thumb in your direction. “So maybe you could just uh, heh, _spear_ me this once, Undyne?” He chuckled nervously as his skull started to sweat. 

Everyone could practically feel Undyne’s anger radiating off her in waves, making the atmosphere even more tense. Blue was slowly backing up, ushering you to do the same behind him. He looked between his brother and Undyne with confusion and worry written all over his face. You quickly chimed in to try and diffuse the situation before she really dusted him.

“It’s ok, Undyne! They were taking care of me while I was injured and-”

“THEY INJURED YOU?!?” She looked about ready to murder him at this point.

“What- NO,” you waved your arms frantically in a ‘no’ motion, “I got injured at that _party_ on Friday! They found me passed out and brought me here to-!”

“-TO COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY IGNORE DIRECT ORDERS FROM THE QUEEN! I LOVE THAT YOU TRY TO SEE THE BEST IN EVERYONE, Y/N, BUT STOP TRYING TO SAVE THESE NERDS FROM JUSTICE!”

You loved Undyne, you really did, but she had the tendency to jump to conclusions without hearing both sides of a story. You made a mental note to scold her about it later, but for now, you had to try to diffuse the situation for everyone’s sake.

Undyne then turned to Blue who stiffened under her hard glare. “YEAH, DON’T THINK YOUR ASS IS OFF THE HOOK, BLUEBERRY! YOU’RE JUST AS COMPLICIT IN THIS AS YOUR BROTHER HERE.”

Blue seemed genuinely confused at Undyne’s accusations towards him and his brother. “COMPLICIT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING AB-?”

“DON’T PLAY DUMB WITH ME, SHORTSTACK!” She growled at him, tightened her grip on Stretch’s hoodie, and began to drag him towards the door frame.

You had to put a stop to this. “UNDYNE JUST STOP AND LISTEN TO ME! THEY’RE NOT AT FAULT HERE!” She finally stopped at your frustrated shout and gave you a surprised, questioning look.

“Ok, sure, they could’ve followed orders a little better, but they’ve been nothing but hospitable to me…weeellll with the exception of Stretch when he nonchalantly threatened me a few minutes ago…” you trailed off and glanced down at Stretch’s nervous gaze as Undyne gave him a pointed glare. Seeing her rage beginning to build again, you decided to quickly finish your thought. “The point is, they saw I was hurt, and they tried to help me, even though they didn’t know me. Plus, I’ve been unconscious this entire time, like, I literally just woke up about an hour ago. They were going to call you as soon as I was up and feeling better, _right_ guys?” You glanced between the brothers, who quickly nodded their sweating skulls in agreement. 

You weren’t sure if they were actually going to do that, but at least Undyne’s shoulders were slowly starting to relax a bit.

“Well, they did a bang-up job healing you if your limp is anything to go by.” Undyne deadpanned grumpily as she glanced at your side. You didn’t think the brothers could tell, but you heard the hint of worry behind her words.

“Well, my limp,” you continued, bringing her attention off of your side and back to your face, “will be gone once I’ve fully recovered. Theydid the best they could, and it’s definitely not their fault that the magic tacos can’t kick in faster…”

You saw her slightly loosen her grip on Stretch’s hoodie as she squinted at you in confusion. 

“Magic…tacos….?” Undyne looked towards Blue with a hint of confusion in her features. Realization hit her and she suddenly started to laugh. You and Blue glanced at each other in confusion. Stretch, who was still trapped and just as confused as you and Blue, started chuckling with her nervously as he looked around for a way to escape.

“You mean… _monster_ tacos…? Ah, man…you have GOT to stop calling monster food magic food, Y/n. It sounds so freaking weird.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

You forgot about the time you first tried monster food. You were at Undyne’s house, and you were taking a break from training when she had offered you a Nice Cream. You had called it magic ice-cream, and you didn’t know why, but she found it hilarious. She hasn’t let you live it down since, and apparently; this situation was no exception.

“Monster food, magic food, they’re the same thing,” You crossed your arms and huffed in frustration at the memory, “Point is, they kept me safe, even if they didn’t tell you where I was.” You stepped out from behind Blue and walked towards her, but he caught your wrist to stop you. He was most likely still worried about your safety. 

You couldn’t stop yourself from flinching out of habit and you shoved his hand away. He looked confused and a little hurt as he drew his hand back.

You immediately regretted it as you reminded yourself that Blue wasn’t HIM.

_Stupid muscle memory._

You glanced over your shoulder at him with an apologetic smile, “Sorry, Blue. I can take care of myself.”

He looked at you worriedly, but hesitantly nodded, and looked back up to watch Undyne cautiously.

You crossed your arms as you continued, “Anyways, keeping me here was probably the best decision they could’ve made.” 

“…How so?” Undyne slightly tightened her grip on Stretch’s hoodie.

“Well, even if they did tell you I was here, uhhh…” you searched your mind for a reasonable reason that was reasonably reasonable, “Oh! If you came to get me while I was still unconscious…it would’ve looked _really_ bad if the neighbors saw a monster carrying a limp human girl out of the house. Or, if the police pulled you over for whatever reason and found me in your car, completely unresponsive.”

Undyne contemplated your reasoning before sighing, “All of the neighbors are monsters, and they know who I am, so that wouldn’t have been an issue. But…the police thing…yeah, I didn’t think about that.” Her grip tightened on Stretch’s hoodie as she continued to voice her concern. “But you were INJURED, Y/n. What if you DIDN’T wake up?!?” Undyne’s anger and frustration was starting to resurface, but you placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her outburst.

“But I DID wake up, that’s all that matters. You’re allowed to be upset, Undyne, but I don’t want you to get physical with your anger. If anyone’s gonna decide their fate, it’s gonna be the queen.”

The skelebros shuddered at the thought of facing an enraged Toriel. Scratch that, all of you shuddered. She was _terrifying_ when she was mad.

“So please, let him go.”

Stretch gave you a shaky, albeit grateful smile, before nodding towards Undyne. “Yes, please let your good ole skeleton buddy chum pal friend amigo home-slice bread-slice dog, go.”

Undyne looked between you, Blue, and Stretch before finally deciding that violence wouldn’t solve this.

“Ugh, whatever. You’re just lucky she’s ok, or the queen would have severed your longhead.” She let go of Stretch’s hoodie as her spear disappeared into thin air. She immediately jammed a finger into his chest and looked him in the eyes. “But this conversation is NOT over.”

You looked towards Stretch, who was now cradling the worn-out fabric of his hoodie where Undyne had held him.

You resisted the urge to make a pun about the irony of his stretched-out hoodie and his name.

“THE QUEEN?” Blue quirked a bone brow as he looked from Undyne to you, clearly confused as to what was going on.

“Yep. This little human saved the queen’s life yesterday,” she gave you a proud grin that made your heart swell with happiness. “The Queen’s been frantically looking for her, just about turned all the neighboring towns upside down trying to find her. You two,” she glared at Stretch and Blue, who shrank under her gaze, “were a part of that search party, and didn’t bother telling anyone that you found her!”

“SHE WAS THE HUMAN ON THAT WATCHLIST?!? PAPPY, WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING?” Before Stretch could fumble through an answer, Blue turned to you.

“AND _YOU_ SAVED THE QUEEN’S LIFE?!? WHAT KIND OF PARTY WERE YOU ATTENDING? AND WHAT THE FUN HAPPENED THAT SHE NEEDED TO BE RESCUED?” He questioned in pure shock and awe.

You couldn’t help but giggle at his cute cuss word replacement.

Undyne quirked a brow at him, “You didn’t realize that Y/n was the one on the list…?”

“NO! OTHERWISE, I WOULD’VE SAID SOMETHING!”

“But…her description and name were right there…wait… YOU EVEN KNEW HER NAME!!!”

“HOW WAS I, THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE, SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS THE SAME Y/N YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?! PLENTY OF HUMANS HAVE THE SAME NAME! LIKE SUSAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HUMANS NAMED SUSAN?!?!? AND WHY DID THEY ALL DECIDE TO LIVE IN EBOTT?!?!?!?”

Undyne face palmed as Blue sassily tossed his scarf behind him like it was hair and harrumphed. You did your best to hold back a snort at his genuine frustration. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Stretch trying to casually make his way towards the kitchen without Undyne noticing. And he would’ve gotten away with it to, if it weren’t for those meddling creaky floor boards.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, BONEHEAD? THIS CONVERSATION ISN’T OVER!” She snatched the back of his hoodie and started pulling him towards the damaged door frame again.

“W-wait, Undyne don’t-”

“Relax, I’m not gonna hurt him, we’re just gonna have a nice little friendly chummy chat outside. Right, buddy?” She stopped by the door and swung an arm around his shoulders. He looked pale, if that was possible for a skeleton, as she flashed you a toothy grin.

“Ok, just uh…don’t kill him, alright?” You chuckled and glanced at Stretch, feeling nervous for his sake.

“I guess it’s unavoidable…” he sighed in defeat before turning towards Blue. “Hey bro, why don’t ya get Y/n to try and solve that latest puzzle you made?” 

Blue seemed absolutely thrilled by the idea as his eyes turned into star shapes. “WHAT A GREAT IDEA! I, THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE, MUST HONOR OUR NEW FRIENDSHIP APPROPRIATELY AFTERALL! COME HUMAN FRIEND Y/N,” he took you by the hand and dragged you up the stairs behind him, “LET US STRENGHTEN OUR FRIENDSHIP BY BASKING IN THE JOY THAT ONLY PUZZLES CAN BRING US!”

You fumbled after the excited skeleton, looking back to see Stretch leading Undyne out the front door.

-

Undyne and Stretch had gone for a “leisurely walk” to discuss the latest events. They walked around to the side of the house, out of earshot from any possible late-night joggers and/or eavesdroppers.

She balled her fists and growled, turning to look him in the eye. “Stretch, what the HELL were you thinking?!? Do you know how much panic you put us through, how much panic you put the QUEEN through?!?!? We started assuming the worst, that she had been taken, possibly tortured-”

“Undyne, relax. She’s perfectly fine.” He said as he pressed his lit cigarette to his teeth. He was still a little tense from her anger, but reverted to his laid-back demeanor. He knew she was way calmer than when she first arrived thanks to you, so he no longer feared for his life. The honey he drank earlier was starting to kick in as well, and the magic cigarette was doing wonders for his stress levels. 

“Dammit Stretch, I am NOT doing this with you right now! Cut the chill attitude, and tell me WHAT were you thinking?!?”

“…look, I can tell she’s not a bad person,” he sighed as he scratched the back of his neck, “While I don’t trust her.…I kinda wanted to protect her from the queen. When we first found her and I saw her injuries, and I saw the list, I just immediate thought that…I dunno…you know how Toriel can get-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there. She’s FINE. She’s got _it_ under control, and it’s not your place to make that call.” She said as she crossed her arms and squinted at him angrily. “And I know that’s not the only reason, so spill it. Why didn’t you tell me you found her?”

He looked up at the sky and breathed out orange smoke.

“I wanted to personally check her intentions. Monsters are disappearing, Undyne. We can’t afford to trust anyone, especially humans.”

“You think I don’t know that?” She glared at him and he shrunk back under her gaze. “Y/n’s different. I’ve known her for a few months now, and I know we can trust her. She saved the queen’s life for crying out loud!”

“How was _I_ supposed to know that?”

“What- it’s your _literal job_ to know these things!” She huffed and crossed her arms. “But back to the real issue here….…she was passed out for, what, longer than 24 hours? Why didn’t you call in after the first few hours had gone by? You didn’t know if she would wake up, you COULDN’T have known. It would’ve been really bad if someone found her unconscious! It would’ve been SO much worse if she died! If word got out to the media…everything we’ve worked for would’ve been thrown out the window because of your carelessness!” She stepped closer to him and jammed a finger into his chest.

“Letting your personal prejudice towards humans interfere with your decisions makes you no better than them. If you let it happen again, I will personally see to it that YOUR ASS is GRASS.” She warningly hissed at him, her threat being barely above a whisper.

Stretch raised his hands defensively and swallowed hard, “Yes ma’am. And I um, had Sans come in to check her vitals.”

She looked at him in disbelief, her frustration only growing. “So, you’re telling me Sans’s lazy ass came over, saw her in your home, and didn’t call in? He’s more cautious towards humans than me and you combined, especially towards the ones on the watchlist.”

“You can’t really be mad at him; he doesn’t know anything about the operation. He didn’t immediately freak out at the sight of her, so it’s safe to assume he hasn’t checked the list recently. He’s been way too busy with that project he’s doing with Alphys back in the lab to be concerned about stuff like this.” Stretch raised a brow bone at her. “Why do you care so much about that human anyway?”

She took a moment to take a deep breath as she thought over her words. “I…care about Y/n, not just because she’s my friend and protégé…but because I’m the one…who recommended her for the mission in the first place. I feel somewhat responsible for everything that happened to her.”

Her answer caught him off guard. “…why would you do that…?”

“She has SO much potential! As her mentor, it’s my duty to give her more opportunities to grow as a warrior.”

“That’s pretty high praise coming from you, but as noble as that is, you could’ve given her literally _any_ other opportunity,” Stretch paused before he glared at her, “…...where was this enthusiasm when you were teaching Blue and Papyrus?”

A guilty, awkward silence fell over her as she rubbed her arm and averted her eyes from his gaze. He sighed, clearly annoyed as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. He twisted his foot to put out any remaining embers before he spoke again.

“Look, I’m not sure why you, or the queen, seem to trust her, but I’ll give her the benefit of a doubt. But don’t think for a s e c o n d that I won’t be keeping an eye socket on her.”

“…fair enough,” she sighed as she put her hands on her hips, “just don’t go around doing that “I’m gonna threaten you until you confess” thing that you skeletons tend to do. It’s VERY creepy. I don’t need you giving any of my students’ nightmares.”

“…No promises.” He playfully winked at her and she facepalmed.

-

“I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE THAT YOU SOLVED IT SO QUICKLY! I’M REALLY IMPRESSED, IT TOOK MY BROTHER A WEEK TO SOLVE IT!” Blue exclaimed excitedly as he followed you down the stairs towards the living room.

“Thanks! I’m usually terrible at solving puzzles since I get frustrated easily. I still can’t believe you made that yourself! I really like the extra touch of detail you added towards every color tile. The mini flame throwers that popped out were super cool too!” You responded with a smile as Blue’s expression brightened further.

You had solved a quick puzzle that Blue had made himself. It was like a Rubik’s cube, only way more advanced. It held twice as many sides, twice as many colors, and you had to arrange the colors into a specific pattern. And yes, it had mini flame throwers that popped out if you didn’t solve it in under 3 minutes. It was fairly difficult, but your training with Undyne, along with the PAFF Academy course on puzzles, had prepared you for this exact situation. 

Undyne was fixing the front door with a hammer, while Stretch leaned against a wall nearby, probably making sure that she put it on properly. She spotted the two of you coming down the stairs and quickly finished the last hinge before grinning at you.

“Hey punk, you ready to go? You really shouldn’t be out so late on a school night.” Undyne said as she finished hammering the last nail.

You placed a hand on your hip and chuckled at her. “I don’t think you’re allowed to call your student a “punk,” but I’ll overlook it if you convince Mr. Gillam to give me an A on that ‘archery history assignment.’”

“Yeah…no. Nice try though.” Undyne laughed at your disappointment. “Besides, I wrote the rulebook. I can technically call you whatever I want, and I won’t be fired.” 

“You’re way too drunk on power.” You both chuckled lightheartedly.

“WAIT SO…HOW DO YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER…?” Blue questioned as he looked between you two.

“She’s my protégé I’ve been telling you guys about!” Undyne said enthusiastically as she wrapped a strong arm around your shoulders.

“WHOAH!!! SO, MY HUMAN FRIEND IS ALREADY FRIENDS WITH MY OTHER FRIEND! WHAT A F A N T A S T I C D A Y FOR F R I E N D S!” His eyes went dark as his body shook violently from his excitement. 

It looked like he was in the most powerful massage chair known to man, and his dark sockets made it look like he was ready to kill anything that disturbed that massage. The three of you backed away nervously, unsure of what his deal was.

“WAIT,” his big blue eyes suddenly popped back into his sockets in confusion and his body stopped convulsing, “BUT…WITH THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED HER, I THOUGHT SHE WAS SOME POWERFUL MONSTER?”

You didn’t stop yourself from crossing your arms and rolling your eyes at the assumption. “Well, I guess I should be flattered since all you monsters think humans are soooooo weak.” Your voice dripped with sarcasm.

“OH GOOD, SO YOU DO UNDERSTAND!”

You were unpleasantly surprised by his immediate, genuine response. “Ok, whoa, first of all, I was joking! Secondly, I could totally wipe the floor with you!”

“OH, I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT, BUT I LIKE YOUR ENTHUSIASM!” Blue chuckled confidently as he placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest.

“Oh, come on, not you too Blue….” You quickly muttered under your breath before you raised your voice for everyone to hear, “Why do you guys think humans are so weak?!?” You groaned in frustration as you grabbed your belongings from the couch. While Blue wasn’t looking, you slipped the earpiece into one of your leg holsters.

Stretch was the first to answer your frustrated question. “Simple, ya don’t have magic. All we have to do is grab yer soul, hold it down, and crush ya.” Stretch said nonchalantly as he picked at his tooth with a boney finger, eyeing your quick movements.

You pondered this for a moment. “Maybe…but ALL power has some kind of weakness.”

Undyne sighed as she handed the hammer to Stretch. “Not these guys. Skeletons have some crazy ability to hold a soul down, causing your whole body to go stiff. Hell, they could easily dust me if I weren’t stronger than them.”

You shivered as you recalled your encounter with Red’s magic.

_So that’s why I couldn’t move…wait…_

“Wait, but…Red used it on me, and I was able to move my head, so what-"

“WHAT?!?! HOLY CRAP, NERD!” Undyne scooped you under her arm and noogied your head. “I knew you were strong, but I didn’t think you were THAT strong!”

“Ugh, Undyne, you’re messing up my hair!”

“Relax, it’s a mess anyways! Well, we better get going, we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow!”

Blue and Stretch gaped at you in pure shock as they watched Undyne carry you out the door.

Once they left, Blue’s eye sockets went dark and his body began to shake as a twisted smile grew on his face. He looked down at his shaky gloved hands in deep thought.

“Heh, I see you’ve taken a liking to her, bro. Don’t go overboard, k? _”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's been a long time since I've updated this story so hopefully I didn't screw up anything...  
> Also, I finally broke down and decided to write in 1st person cause it's so much easier to do  
> Leave me kudos, comments, all that jazz, and don't be afraid to pester me if I don't update soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot to me!  
> If you loved it, let me know!  
> If you hated it, let me know!  
> Your feedback will help me grow as a writer!


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